Exeposé Issue 642, 28 September 2015

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60 years young: University celebrates its Diamond Jubilee, Page 5

Student ‘grabbed’ near halls Fiona Potigny News Editor

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Over 500 staff seek redundancy >> Queen Elizabeth II presents the University with its Royal Charter on 8 May 1956. The University will celebrate its 60th birthday this year. Photo: University of Exeter Archives

Net reduction of 112 employees

Sarah Gough Editor

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TOTAL of 525 staff applied for the University’s Voluntary Severance Scheme (VSS) in the last academic year, an Exeposé investigation has revealed.

An FOI request found that the one-off redundancy scheme attracted 13 per cent

Features: The Sunday Times Editorial Director interviewed Page 12

of all University staff from September 2014 to July 2015. 146 applicants came from Campus Services, the department largely responsible for university cleaning and maintenance, whilst Academic Services saw 100 employees logging their interest in severance.

The University ultimately made offers of voluntary severance to 312 staff

Concerns over music changes

whilst the overall net reduction in personnel was around 112 full-time employees.

An 18-month salary payback was offered to the scheme’s applicants depending on length of service. It cost the University £7,480,000 in one-off payments with a projected annual recurrent saving of £5,659,000 from 2016/17.

The music office was one of the de-

Music: On the back of festival season, our writers review this summer’s gigs Pages 20-21

partments hit by the staff streamlining process. Four employees in the music office, who performed extra-curricular administration for the entirety of Exeter music, took voluntary severance. Following their redundancies, student volunteers were left in charge until the end of term. Two new full-time Guild...

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Screen: Tom Hardy’s new gangster biopic ‘Legend’ reviewed Page 22

N Exeter student was ‘grabbed’ by a stranger walking home during Freshers’ Week, it has been revealed.

Speaking anonymously, the fourthyear student told Exeposé she had left her workplace in town at 2 am to walk home on 17 September. She noticed a stranger following her on Old Tiverton Road, continuing until she reached her Sylvan Road home, near Lafrowda.

The student then proceeded to hide behind her neighbours’ bins, at which point the stranger approached and grabbed her, lifting her off the ground.

Managing to injure the stranger’s face with her keys, she was able to escape.

Devon and Cornwall Police have not yet found the perpetrator, who was described as young, blonde and wearing a short black jacket.

The 22-year-old, who pointed out that she was “neither drunk” nor “provocatively dressed” said: “I have been here four years and never question walking home. I am never scared in most places in Exeter.

“If I had been drinking or was new in town, I don’t think I could have had the same reaction.”

VP Welfare & Diversity, Naomi Armstrong, commented: “I am very sorry to hear of this student’s experience... I would encourage all students to take care when travelling home at night – stick to well lit areas, walk with company or, if possible, get a taxi.”

Anyone who may have information pertaining to the Sylvan Road incident is asked to contact Devon and Cornwall Police.

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NEWS 1-5

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-14 16-17 8-10

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In brief

MUSIC 18-21

SCREEN 22-24

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32

GAMES 34-36

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SPORT 38-40

Exeposé News

NEWS EDITORS Susannah Keogh Fiona Potigny

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University news from beyond Exeter

NUS takes on Girl in campus gov’t over grants smoothie death

NASA Mars bid needs student help

The National Union of Students has confirmed that they are beginning legal action against the government for the scrapping of the maintenance grant, currently received by approximately 500,000 students.

Megan Dunn, President of the NUS said: “It has been clear since the budget that the government has failed to assess the impact that scrapping maintenace grants will have on our poorest students.

“It is obvious that the government is attempting to rush through these changes with no consideration on future generations of students.”

From 2016-17, maintenance loans will replace grants, as set out in the 2015 summer budget announced by the Chancellor in July. Currently, any UK student with a household income of £25,000 or less gets a full grant of £3, 387 a year.

A student has died on her second day of study at Queen’s University Canada after suffering an allergic reaction to a smoothie.

Andrea Marino, 18, went into anaphylactic shock, passing away in hospital three days later.

She was allergic to dairy and had a severe allergy to peanuts.

Her cousin, Hedalline Valentin, said: “All her life she has been very particular about letting whoever it is that is preparing her food know, to say, ‘I have an allergy to peanuts, I am deathly allergic to peanuts and I have an allergy to dairy products.’ She knows that. She tells them.”

In a statement, Queen’s told the press that they will be reviewing their services in light of the incident.

A NASA competition is looking to enlist willing students to help them decide how to land large cargo on Mars.

Entrants will have to submit ideas which use Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD).

Steve Gaddis, Game Changing Development Programme manager at NASA’s Langely base, said: “A crewed spacecraft landing on Mars would weigh between 15 and 30 tonnes. NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover is the heaviest payload ever landed on the red planet - weighing in at only one tonne.

To slow a vehicle carrying a significantly heavier payload through the thin Martian atmosphere and safely land it on the surface is a significant challenge.”

Students have until 15 November 2015 to complete the project.

Degrees that make Bridging the study and play gap for high flyers

Barking mad for uni dog therapy

Internationals get luck of the Irish

The degrees that make for the wealthiest graduates have been revealed, thanks to a recent survey.

According to findings from job search engine Adzuna, which used its listings to calculate average graduate salaries, Civil Engineering students come top of the pile with an average £44,951.

The graduates, who tend to find work as surveyors, site and structural engineers and environmental consultants, ranked above Engineering and Accounting, which came second and third with £42,837 and £42,404 respectively.

Science and business subjects dominated the list, with Architecture as the only degree outside of these departments to place. No Humanities subjects made the rankings.

While the findings bode well for indemand engineers due to infrastructure projects including Crossrail and HS2, a recent WikiJob poll found that over 50 per cent of graduates prioritise professional development over salary.

Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh has become the first in Scotland to offer a full time job to a dog.

Rocco, a two-year-old Labradoodle, has been trained as an official ‘Therapet’ and is now permanently based at the university’s Students’ Union. His owner, Kirsten Baird, who is the manager of the union, commented: “He is proving to be a huge hit with students, during stressful periods around exams and assignments.

Many students miss their own pets from home and often enjoy the opportunity to be with Rocco.”

‘Therapet’ dogs, which also visit care homes, hospitals and hospices, come in all sizes and breeds and are approved for having a steady and friendly temperament.

International students are happiest studying in Ireland, says a new survey from StudyPortals.

Compiling over 17,000 reviews, the online study choice platform awarded the country 9.04 out of 10, topping the list for year abroad study satisfaction.

Praised for its innovative programmes and multicultural atmosphere, Ireland outranked Finland and Sweden, which came second and third. The UK, however, only attained tenth place, with students citing high living costs, disappointing accommodation and bad weather as reasons behind their discouragement.

Of the 18 countries that made the rankings, France came lowest, with a satisfaction score of just 8.23 owing to various complaints about bureaucracy.

StudyPortals CEO, Edwin Van Rest, stated that students are now seeking more from universities, with “reputation no longer enough to attract the best talent”.

A good heir day for Leicester

The University of Leicester is fit for a princess - or so believes the House of Japan, who revealed that the Japanese Emperor’s granddaughter has completed a Master’s there in a press conference last week.

Dubbed the “Japanese Kate Middleton”, Princess Mako of Akishno has just finished a course in Art Museum and Gallery Studies, officially graduating in January 2016.

Although many Japanese students were aware of her noble status, the 23 year-old princess remained largely undisturbed by students despite electing to live in campus halls of residence.

She also completed a six week placement at a local art gallery undetected.

Irish university students have built a world record-breaking bridge – and all from Meccano.

A group of third year Civil Engineering students from Queen’s University constructed the 100-foot bridge using over 11,000 pieces of the lightweight metal and 70,000 nuts and bolts.

Proving the creation’s viability, Professor Trevor Whittaker crossed the handmade construction during a ceremony opened by Meccano’s Meccanoid robot.

Hundreds turned out to the event, which took place at Clarendon Dock, over which the bridge was erected.

Professor Whittaker commented: “We are basically training young people, training them to think, training them to dream, but dreaming alone is simply not good enough, you have to take the thing to another stage, you have to deliver at the end of the day.”

Stories compiled by: Susannah Keogh and Fiona Potigny, News Editors

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“They were practically forced into it” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ...employees in the music office, who performed extra-curricular administration for the entirety of Exeter music, took voluntary severance.

Following their redundancies, student volunteers were left in charge until the end of term. Two new fulltime Guild employees have now been appointed to manage the University’s music services.

Viv Inglis ExTunes President 2014/15 said: “The loss of staff in the music office has been extremely poorly handled; student volunteers have had to pick up too much slack and many have struggled with responsibilities thrust upon them. The ExTunes committee had to cover four paid members of staff’s workload on top of our exams.

“Whilst the redundancy scheme is in theory an optional choice, the music staff, whom I knew well, were practically forced into it.”

Commenting on the changes to the University Music Office, VP Activities Katie O’ Connor said: “When the University decided to close the Music Office, the Guild worked with the University and students to ensure that a vibrant student music community

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continued to exist on campus through enhanced provision for ExTunes and other student led music groups.”

Student volunteers have had to pick up too much slack Viv Inglis, ExTunes President 2014/2015 Chris Musgrave, Unison officer for the South West, offered impartial advice to those staff applying for redundancy.

Musgrave commented: “In these specific circumstances the scheme was voluntary and the terms were generous. No member was forced to go and although the numbers leaving employment were high in my experience, the individuals concerned decided, after advice, that the offer was in their best interests.”

Musgrave continued: “There is a concern about the workload of those staff that remain, however. We have a good working relationship with the university and will be working with them closely over the coming months.”

The University announced its Professional Services Transformation in January 2015 as part of its bid to enter the QS World Rankings’ ‘Global 100’,

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in which it currently places 161st. It intends to save £25 million per year in order to increase investment in research, academic staff and improved facilities.

Jacqui Marshall, Interim Chief Operating Officer, was positive about the scheme’s popularity. She said: “This is one of the successful measures we have taken to support us in our ambition to become one of the best universities in the world.”

Guild President Laura Jane-Tiley said: “The Guild will continue to work with the University to ensure the outcomes of the Professional Services Transformation remain positive for students and results in greater investment in the student experience.”

“Has the uni cut too deep?”

Comment Page 9 University employees who accepted voluntary severance were unavailable for comment due to a contractual clause.

The agreement prevented them from being able to “disclose to any third party the details of the settlement or make any insulting or negative comments about the University of Exeter”.

Photo: Natasa Christofidou

Module cancellations Syrian refugee cause student anger idea falls flat Susannah Keogh News Editor

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TUDENTS have been left angry and confused after two Politics modules were cancelled only a week before teaching was due to start.

On 14 and 15 September respectively, second and third year Politics students taking ‘Electoral Politics’ and ‘Media Public Opinion and Campaigns’ were emailed by the Politics Office informing them that these modules had been cancelled due to “staffing availability”. Affected students were requested to pick three alternative modules from a list which had “limited availability”.

By the time I switched over the module I’d already missed a seminar James Woolcock, PPE student However, several students have expressed concern to Exeposé, complaining that the subsequent delay in allocating their new modules resulted in them missing valuable teaching time.

James Woolcock, second year Poli-

tics, Philosophy and Economics, who was due to take Media, Public Opinion and Campaigns, commented: “My biggest issue is being given three days notice before teaching started so by the time I switched over the module I’d already missed a seminar. As it was during Freshers’ Week, the response time was 72 hours, meaning it caused me undue stress as I had to try to sort it out in time and in person.”

Fellow Politics student Katie Costello said: “I understand that if staff leave there’s very little they can do. What’s far more irritating is that so many of the politics modules for this term and the next are full up. If you lose your first choice module because the university choose to cancel it in Freshers’, then you should automatically get your second preference.”

Links to several of the replacement modules provided in the email were also found to be broken, meaning the affected students were unable to find sufficient information on the modules they needed to choose.

Of the 19 alternative modules offered, the webpages for courses POL3193, POL3194 and POL3197 were not working during Freshers’ Week. One third year student described the selection process as

“like picking modules blind”.

Students at the University are required to complete modules worth a total of 120 credits a year.

Geoff Williams, Human Resources Business Partner for the College of Social Sciences, told Exeposé that the decision was made due to confidential staffing reasons. He said: ‘‘It is unfortunate. We fully understand why students are disappointed. We really hope to offer these modules in Term Two but we can’t confirm.”

Feeling frustrated about your modules?

Comment Page 10 Bethan Jones, VP Education, commented: “When changes to students’ module choices are required it is important that the affected students are informed as soon as possible and given the widest possible choice in selecting a replacement.”

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Politics modules cancelled: - POL3070: Electoral Politics - POL2049: Media, Public Opinion and Campaigns

Owain Evans News Team

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XETER students have failed to back a proposal that could have seen Syrian refugees housed in University residences.

The idea, submitted to the Students’ Guild website, suggested that the university should help during the current crisis by turning over spare accommodation or other available space to refugees.

40 students voted on the proposal, and of those only eight strongly agreed with it, compared to the 13 who strongly disagreed. Taking into account only those which display a preference, 57.1 per cent of votes cast were against housing refugees at the University.

Several universities, including Warwick and York, have announced that they will offer a limited number of scholarships to incoming refugees.

However, this idea, if passed, would have made Exeter the first to give support that wasn’t linked to education.

Third year Politics student John Chilvers, who created the Student Idea, told Exeposé: “Sir Steve Smith has loads of rooms in his university-owned house;

can’t he put our fellow humans in dire need up?”

Exeter City Council has offered to work with the Home Office and other councils in the region to help with the relocation of refugees. This news follows a refugee solidarity rally held on 12 September in front of Exeter Cathedral, attended by around 600 people.

Sir Steve Smith has loads of rooms. Can’t he put up our fellow humans in dire need?

John Chilvers, Creator of the Student Idea Following a Guild Council meeting, the idea has been passed to the Campaigns Working Group.

The UN Refugee Agency estimates that over 12.2 million Syrians need help in some way, with 4.1 million of these believed to have fled the country.

The Prime Minister announced earlier this month that the government plans on allowing 20,000 refugees into the UK over the course of the current Parliament.

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Las Iguanas tip scandal Fiona Potigny News Editor

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PETITION to scrap Las Iguanas’ “grossly unfair” tipping policy has gained over 1,300 signatures from Exeter residents, following revelations in a recent Guardian article.

The Latin American-themed restaurant, which has 30 branches across the country, recently came under fire for forcing staff to pay back three per cent of their total sales for the night, effectively causing them to “pay to work” when tips did not cover the percentage.

A 38 Degrees petition was subsequently set up which has garnered over 88,000 signatures nationally.

Defending the policy, the chain maintains that it “rewards ALL of our team” by funding staff development and reward schemes.

Tonga team trains in Ex James Beeson Editor

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HE TONGAN national rugby team was spotted enjoying a coffee in Exeter’s Princesshay Shopping Centre last week, ahead of the start of their 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign.

The squad, who have been using University sports facilities for training purposes, enjoyed caffeinated refreshments courtesy of high street chain Costa Coffee on 21 September.

The team also visited Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum to see some of the traditional Tongan artifacts on display there.

The Tongans kick off their Rugby World Cup campaign against Namibia on 29 September at Sandy Park stadium.

Pret hits the High Street Thea Bichard News Team

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NEWS 1-5

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RET-A-MANGER has just opened its doors on Exeter’s High Street.

Open from 7am during the week, the new branch is located at 247-249 High Street, next to menswear shop Jackamo and Specsavers Opticians.

The cafe, which has both indoor and outdoor seating areas, will stock its usual selection of food and drinks, providing Wi-Fi for those who wish to work offcampus.

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 16-17 12-14 8-10

MUSIC 18-21

SCREEN 22-24

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32

GAMES 34-36

SPORT 38-40

FRESHERS’ WEEK 2015 |

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Photo: Curtins

Freshers housed off campus PWs Photo Credit: PopSugar

Susannah Keogh News Editor

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HE UNIVERSITY was forced to negotiate rooms with private accommodation provider Printworks after running out of accommodation for Freshers.

This follows increasing outsourcing to private providers, with the residence joining Northfield and Point Exe in supplying accommodation for students.

All the students Exeposé spoke to were allocated Printworks as a last resort, having initially applied for cheaper, oncampus accommodation. Several were offered the option of Printworks or Moberley House (catered, standard) or a

self-contained studio at Birks Grange.

A classic ensuite room in Printworks with a 40 week contract costs £148.35 a week, or £5,934 per annum. A courtyard ensuite is £153.73 for the same let time, equivalent to £6,149.20.

In comparison, a catered single room in Mardon Hall is £164.43 per week and an ensuite studio in Birks Grange Village comes in at £151.55.

First-year student Joel Reed was placed in Printworks. He told Exeposé: “The extra cost was a worry, especially how we had to pay £2,500 before we moved in and before we got our student loan. I know others had to borrow more money from relatives to pay for it.”

A fellow Printworks fresher added:

“I originally applied to Lafrowda, St Germans and Rowe House for ensuite, self catered accommodation. Those I’ve met in Printworks all applied to the same three halls above, but some were made to pay around £200 extra for a courtyard room.”

“I think the only major disadvantage is the lack of newcomers/freshers to The Printworks as this has limited us somewhat as many other year students have been disinterested in meeting first years.”

Owned and managed by Victoria Hall Management UK, Printworks residents can access a 24-hour gym, television room and additional study space.

There has been a recent boom in private accommodation providers in

Scotland, the work is intended to assist the development of a nation-wide noise monitoring strategy, forming part of the UK’s commitment to the EU Marine Strategy Directive (MSFD), a framework seeking to attain Good Environmental Status in European seas by 2020.

According to Dr Ian Davies, Renewables and Energy Programme Manager at Marine Scotland Science, the research could have important implications for “the distribution of key marine mammals species such as bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoise”.

Lecturer in Natural Environment at the University, Dr Matthew Witt, described the University’s involvement in the project as “important”, citing increasing concerns over the impact of human-derived noise on marine animal habitats.

He added: “This Cefas-led project will bring together data from around the UK to improve our understanding of underwater noise and help to advise on how we best manage human activities in the sea while promoting healthy coastal habits from which we all ultimately benefit.”

Catherine Maughan News Team

Exeter with the opening of Dean Clarke Lofts and the development of new halls by the Exeter cricket grounds.

A spokesman for the University said: “The University of Exeter has invested more than £130 million to provide additional student accomodation on our Streatham Campus, which increased the number of rooms available to more than 5,000.

“New and returning students who apply for accomodation are allocated rooms in University owned, managed or leased residences, both on campus and occasionally in the city. This includes a small number of students who have been allocated rooms at the Printworks for this Photo: Natasa Christofidou academic year.”

Underwater noise Exeter University monitored by Uni engineer honoured Fiona Potigny News Editor

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NDERWATER noise in the marine environment will soon be carefully monitored following a new partnership between the University of Exeter, the Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and Marine Scotland Science.

Using underwater noise data gathered from subsea sound recorders placed around the UK coast, the project will allow the specialist team to find out whether this type of noise pollution may have an impact on marine life by interfering with their communication methods.

Shipping, seismic exploration and construction activity (such as port extensions or offshore wind farms) are all examples of the kind of sounds that are feared may cause changes in marine life behaviour, raising stress levels.

The first of its kind, this research will see marine scientists collaborating in order to produce an initial baseline assessment of background noise levels in coastal waters around the UK, taking into account seasonal and annual patterns, as well as special differences.

Funded by Defra and Marine

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XETER’s Professor David Butler has been elected a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

The highest honour available for a UK engineer, Professor Butler’s fellowship recognised his “important and sustained contributions” to best practise.

This acknowledgement comes after the Professor of Water Systems was awarded a five year fellowship worth £1.5 million by EPSRC in 2012.

Professor Butler is now one of just 50 fellows elected to the Royal Academy of Engineering this year, joining a fellowship of 1,500 that shapes, leads and delivers the Academy’s activities.

Photo: WATEF Network

Commenting on his success, Professor Butler said: “It is the highest honour that can be bestowed on an engineer in this country, and is testament to the world-class research and innovations that are taking place not just in the Centre for Water Systems, but also at the University of Exeter.”

It is the highest honour that can be bestowed on an engineer in this country Professor David Butler President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Professor Dame Ann Dowling DBE FREng FRS said: “The commitment and energy of our fellows is the lifeblood of our Academy. Our new fellows join us today as the country’s most innovative and creative minds from both academia and industry.”

The University’s Engineering Department is currently ranked eighth in The Guardian and tenth in The Complete University Guide 2016 for General Engineering in the UK. The department was ranked first for overall satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2014.

Professor Butler will join the Fellowship alongside Exeter’s Professor of Hydroinformatics Dragan Savić who was elected to join in 2013.

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Shine bright like a diamond Exeter scientists advance storage Jessica Hughes News Team

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Photo: Natasa Christofidou

Conor McGovern News Team

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HE UNIVERSITY of Exeter will commemorate its Diamond Jubilee this year with a number of special events.

The University received its royal charter from HM The Queen on 21 December 1955 and has since undergone significant change over its 60-year history. Originally the University College of the South West, Exeter has grown into an international university and one of the leading teaching and research institutions in the country. To mark this special achievement, a variety of events will be held over the next ten months, finishing with the summer graduation ceremony in July 2016.

Speaking about the University, Professor Sir Steve Smith, ViceChancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Exeter, said: “Since 1955,

the University has grown to become a dynamic and successful institution, placed in the top ten of all the main UK higher education league tables and ranking within the top 1 per cent of all institutions globally.”

The celebrations will include lectures, award ceremonies and invitation-only events across all three campuses and in London, bringing together students and staff both past and present. They will begin on 28 September with the launch of a new book about the University, The City on the Hill, by Professor Jeremy Black. Professor Black paints a biographical portrait of the University of Exeter, using archive material and personal accounts from staff, students and alumni.

Although the year will celebrate Exeter’s history, the Vice-Chancellor is keen to focus on the university’s future.

“This celebration is also a time to look to the future and explore the many

ways through which we can create a lasting legacy, not only to help shape our future but also to look at how we can continue to work in partnership to enrich the world around us”, he said.

the symptom could develop into cancer.

Of those of a higher risk, there was only a slight rise in those who chose to pursue further investigation.

with a more advanced stage of the disease.

In light of the award, Professor Willie Hamilton, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “We’re delighted to win this award. The paper has been highly influential - in particular it helped the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence committee on suspected cancer in their efforts to lower the threshold for cancer testing.”

The University of Exeter Medical School is currently ranked 16th in the country in the Complete University Guide 2016 rankings, having risen 12 places from last year’s rankings.

One in three people in the UK will develop cancer in their lifetime. Cancer survival rates here are still below the overall European average, leading for medical profesisonals to push for early diagnosis as a way of battling the disease.

'Preferences for cancer investigation’ was part of the DISCOVERY Programme which is a five year initiative between six universities and the NHS.

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Celebrating 60 years of Exeter ‘The City on the Hill’ Lecture and book launch 28 September, 6pm, Henderson Lecture Theatre Diamond Jubilee Launch Party 29 September (private event) Inflatafun (giant inflatables) 30 September, Sand Astro Pitch Diamond Jibulee International Lecture Series Various dates 2015/16, more details to follow For more information regarding the University’s Jubilee events, visit: www.exeter.ac.uk/diamondjubilee

CIENTISTS at the University of Exeter have contributed to groundbreaking research, leading to crucial advancement in the storage of computer data.

The research has lead to key developments in innovative new ways to process and store data electronically using a memory chip that captures light. These methods, developed alongside a team of international scientists, could change the way data on computers is processed and stored by using an integrated optical chip.

Whilst optic fibre cables are already commonly used for high-bandwith data transfer, this development of this technology has been limited owing to difficulties pertaining to the storage of large quantities of data.

Our approach can de�ine a new speed limit for future processors Professor Harish Bhaskaran, co-author Professor Harish Bhaskaran, one of the research’s co-authors, said: “Our approach can define a new speed limit for future processors, by delivering extremely fast on-chip optical data storage. The written state is

preserved when the power is removed, unlike most current on-chip memories.”

Using “phase changing materials”, which change their state from solid to liquid, the team of scientists made this development by capturing light on an integrated chip, introducing the first permanent, all-optical on-chip memory.

Our technology might also eventually be used to reproduce the neural-type processing that is carried out by the human brain Professor David Wright The changeability of the materials used – moving between crystalline (regular) and amorphous (irregular) states – allowed the team to store more data in a single, integrated, nanoscale optical phase-change cell.

Professor David Wright, who works in the University’s Engineering department, said: “With our prototype we have, for the first time, a nanoscale integrated optical memory that could open up the route towards ultra-fast data processing and storage.

Our technology might also eventually be used to reproduce in computers the neural-type processing that is carried out by the human brain.”

Uni Cancer research City’s top crime paper wins UK award spots revealed Jack Morgan Jones News Team

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UNIVERSITY of Exeter Cancer research paper has won Research Paper of the Year Award 2014.

Published by researchers from the University of Exeter, the University of Bristol and Cambridge University, the paper was awarded the distinction by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in September 2015.

The paper ‘Preferences for cancer investigation: a vignette-based study of primary-care attendees’ was initially published in the journal Lancet Oncology, and discovered that the public have a high preference for testing and investigation for cancer even at low levels of risk.

In the study, 3,649 participants were asked to fill in a total of 6,930 vignettes of potential symptoms which could indicate a particular type of cancer. Of those 88 per cent opted for further investigation, even when there was only a low risk that

The paper has helped the National Institute for Health and Care Committee on suspected cancer in their efforts Professor Wilie Hamilton The UK will diagnose over 1,000 people a day by the end of 2016. Research into potential cancer patients is crucial, which makes this paper a forward step in the battle against cancer. The need to diagnose early is very important according to Cancer Research UK over 90 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer at the earliest stage survive their disease for at least five years compared to around 15 per cent for women diagnosed

Fiona Potigny News Editor

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CITYWIDE crime map has been released, revealing which areas in Exeter reported the most incidents in July this year.

The interactive online map breaking down total recorded crimes by location showed Mary Arches street to be Exeter’s most crime-prone area.

Mary Arches, which borders Fore Street and is located near the Cathedral, saw 29 incidences recorded in July alone. Little Castle Street, which runs adjacent to the High Street, came a second with 23 crime reports.

A total of 22 crimes took place on student hotspot Sidwell Street, home to burger restaurant Hub Box and popular student cocktail venue Monkey Suit, whilst Prospect Place, North Street and

Guinea Street saw 17 and 12 respectively.

July saw 1,114 incidents recorded in total, with 52 under postcode EX4 6JS, a popular second and third-year student accommodation area, which encompasses Pennsylvania Road, Old Tiverton Road, Union Road, Victoria Street, Culverland Road and Springfield Road.

Anti-social behaviour and sexual offences were the most common types of crime listed, with 386 of the former and 204 of the latter.

The data, which was released by the Home Office and can be accessed via the Police.uk website, allows users to search for information on offences in their neighbourhood using their postcode.

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Diamonds cost dollar W E lead this week with an investigation into cost cutting at the University. Now in its 60th year, the uni is still trying to climb those seemingly omnipotent league tables. To do this they must continually set aside money to invest in research and academic staff. Unfortunately this means other areas must be squashed, squeezed and ultimately made redundant.

Of course the better the uni’s reputation, the better our CVs look, but there is a real worry that student volunteers, as well as remaining employees, are being expected to take on too much in the face of reduced staffing. In the case of the Music Office, which has now been shut and moved within the Guild, the handling of the changes have left many incensed (see Comment page 9). Student wellbeing should always be prioritised over business strategies, and it seems like in this instance the changes have done more harm than good. What’s more, the personnel cuts seem totally at odds with the ongoing expansion of student numbers.

Our other front page story this week features a rather worrying account of an anonymous student assaulted on the way home after work. While our investigation last issue confirmed that Exeter is one of the safest cities to study in, this attack highlights the need for students to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings. We know lots of people who have been made to feel vulnerable in some way when walking alone at night. Don’t be complacent kids - stay safe out there.

In other news, many Politics students have been left frustrated by a monumental cock-up, which lead to two modules in the department being cancelled less than a week before the start of term. This is, in our opinion, an unacceptable state of affairs. The Politics Office have been unable to fully explain the reason for these cancellations, and the lack of choice in the replacement modules offered was ex-

tremely poor. See page 3 for the full story.

It’s not all doom and gloom though.

Our University celebrates its diamond jubilee this year, a great achievement.

Whilst we do like to moan and groan about Exeter, and it’s far from a perfect place to study, sixty years have seen the uni flourish into one of the finest institutions in the country, and we look forward to a year of celebrations to remember. *** We’re all about equality here at Exeposé so it was great to chat to The Sunday Times’ Eleanor Mills, a professional who shares these views and is doing a lot to instill them. As Chair of Women in Journalism she is an inspirational figure for female journalists hoping to break into a male-dominated industry. For the full interview turn to Features page 12.

As the nights grow longer, it’s nice to look back on the summer and reminisce. Music have been doing just that this week, with a comprehensive compilation of highlights from festivals in the UK and abroad. Check out the lovely summer spread over on pages 20-21.

Speaking of comprehensive, Jack Smith has written a great in-depth review of one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer, Legend, featuring Tom Hardy as psychotic Kray twins Ronnie and Reggie. Head to page 24 for Jack’s verdict.

Exeter’s caught rugby fever this week.

With Sandy Park hosting three Rugby World Cup games, Sport have been busy previewing the tournament and giving their expert opinions as England seek to reach their first final since 2007. See page 39 for the full details.

Finally, a reminder that you can still become a member of Exeposé for just five pounds on the Guild website. If you’re interested in writing, don’t hesitate to sign up. We want a plethora of voices on the student paper, make sure yours is one.

Thanks to those who helped proof this issue: Anna Gibbon, Mollie Berry, Lily O’Neil, Madeleine Parker, Heather Pasfield, Katie Wood, Tessa Boyd, Liam Thomas, Ruth Barley, Danny Woolford, Maddy Stewart, Holly Robinson, Connor M’Govern, Sarah Selley, Heather Pasfield, Ella Burgess, Francisco Fonseca, Jack Morgan Jones, Lauren Swift Bernie Sanders, Sara Ciapponi, Esther Deidun, the Exeposé copy editors and members of the editorial team.

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DEPUTY EDITORS Eamonn Crowe Josh Mines

COMMENT EDITORS John Chilvers Zak Mahinfar

Why you always lyin’?

Eamonn Crowe Deputy Editor

R

ECENTLY, there has been a new Vine taking the internet by storm. It features an overly excited American man with pretty slick dance moves singing about someone who is ‘always lying’. The deep, relatable lyrics include ‘why the f*ck you lying? Why you always lying? Mmmohmygawd stop f*ckin’ lying!’ (If you haven’t seen said video already, YouTube it now – you won’t regret it.) Of course, the ever-hilarious Twitterati have made the video even funnier by placing it next to captions, such as “when your friend who’s always on their phone says they didn’t see your text”.

8:30am starts will only be for freshers - LOL guess what guys, they were lying However, I propose a new caption to go alongside the Vine that will have us all slapping our knees with laughter.

One that reads “when the University of Exeter says that 8:30am starts will

only be for Freshers’” – LOL guess what guys, they were lying.

When news of a change to University timetables was originally announced, the student body, the Student’s Guild and plenty of University staff gave a collective Simon Cowell-esque “it’s a no from me.” Of course, the University went ahead with the plans anyway, as if they didn’t it would almost be like we are living in some kind of democracy, where we actually have a say in where our £9,000 a year is spent. In fairness to the University, they did try to appease us by first initiating the changes on a ‘trial basis’ (which was quickly made a permanent change, despite the grumbles) and by promising that lectures and seminars taking place at such an ungodly hour would be largely reserved for Freshers. Of course, this was just another lie… I’m starting to see a pattern here.

When my third year friends and I received our timetables, we were pretty shocked and angry that almost all of us had at least one 8:30am start and some of us had three, or god forbid, four. Of course, the naysayers will argue that it’s only a half-hour difference and that there are plenty of real life adult - peo-

ple who start their jobs at half eight in the morning, or even beforehand. The thing is though, it’s not just about having to get up earlier, (although that is a pretty big part of it) it’s about the trust.

The University has lied to me time and time again and I’m starting to think that this relationship just might not be working anymore.

It’s not just about having to get up eariler, it’s about the trust I’m just not sure how many more revelations I can take. The next thing you know we’ll find out that the Vice Chancellor earns over 200 thousand pounds a year while we struggle to buy a Marketplace meal ‘deal’, or that the University is continually treating our Higher Education as a commodity in order to drive profitability and accept more students (just imagine that!) So please, University of Exeter, hear my plea and start telling us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

In other words, ‘mmmmohmygawd stop f*ckin’ lying.’

The struggle begins...

Cartoon: Emily McIndoe

Has the uni cut too deep?

EXEPOSÉ

COMMENT

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9

In the face of staff severence and cutting costs, is the University doing more harm than good?

Jacqui Marshall Interim Chief Operating Of�icer

T

HE University of Exeter is enjoying a sustained period of exceptional success. We are ranked solidly in the top ten in the main UK higher education league tables, we continue to strengthen our international reputation, and were recently named as The Times and The Sunday Times Sports University of the Year.

staff focusing on the right es, doing the right things. Becoming more efficient in our services means we can hire more world class academics, proactively respond to the changing face of the sector and, most importantly, continue to invest in the areas that our students and staff care about most.

plac-

Remarkable achievements have been attained against a backdrop of unprecedented change These remarkable achievements have been attained against a backdrop of unprecedented change within the Higher Education sector. In essence, Government funding for every university is becoming a thing of the past, with the onus now solely on each institution to be responsible for their own funding.

Why should this matter to our students? Quite simply, for Exeter to achieve its global ambitions and continue to enhance its standards and reputation – which in turn enhances the value of your degree across the globe – then we need to ensure that our strategy and long-term financial planning match that ambition.

We need to ensure that our strategy and long-term financial planning match our ambitions This is not a simple task – but the rewards are worth it. Exeter attracts some of the very best academic staff and students not just from the UK, but worldwide. They come because of our outstanding reputation and our place on the global stage.

In order to reinforce these standards, we need to adapt and evolve to the changing landscape. This includes transforming the way we deliver services to meet the expectations that are rightly placed upon us from students and staff alike. It also means developing courses and programmes that compete with the best in the world, so we can continue to attract the brightest minds to our University.

Our Transformation Programme will ensure that we have the very best

The Guild and the University’s Library and Culture Services agreed to work together to create a stronger single combined music offer for students at our Exeter campuses. It was felt that it would be beneficial to bring the two separate offices together and it was agreed that the Guild was the right place to manage student-focused extracurricular activities.

Students are now much closer to decisions that shape how the service runs and what it offers and they are now actively involved in delivering music at Exeter. Staff in the University Music Office had the option to join the Students’ Guild, though some chose to take up the option of voluntary severance from the University instead. The Guild also had additional budget of 372k to fund these services.

Students are now much closer to decisions that shape how the music service runs This has been a good example of the University and the Guild, both management and the sabbatical team, working together in a student led way to enhance the student experience.

Dom Self Former ExTunes President

L

AST term the University cut all support staff for music as part of its staff streamlining process. It also reduced the amount of funding music receives from the University. Four members of staff lost their jobs and consequently all of their responsibilities were dumped upon myself and five other students, with hardly any prior warning, during exam time. The cuts themselves, but also the way they were handled, have made a lot of students involved in music incredibly angry.

Many of us didn’t see the need to cut music at all. Last year the entirety of the programme - the largest extra-curricular music programme in the country – only cost £100,000. This covered some staff’s salaries, society grants, a tuition programme, maintenance and purchasing budget for equipment, and insurance for equipment and events.

Given how many millions of pounds the University likes to tell us it has just invested in a new building/sport facilities/research, it is laughable that they couldn’t find the money to retain the small music budget or keep the Music Office open.

It is laughable that they couldn’t retain the small music budget The Music Office staff weren’t just people who sat at a desk and rarely communicated with students – they went above and beyond, sacrificing evenings and weekends to support us. In return for their phenomenal work, the University shut their office, cut their jobs, and then prevented them from speaking out or even setting foot on the University premises due to contractual clauses.

We took over the ExTunes committee in the hour following staff redundancy annoucements.

We were told everything was up in the air and that all the things previously done by the Music Office were now our responsibility – distributing funding, looking after equipment, running the Music Learning Programme,

managing booking systems, policing music card memberships. We were a new committee of six student volunteers all in full time degrees now expected to do the work of four members of paid staff. We were told music would merge into the Guild, but no-one was able to tell us when the new Guild staff would start, or what their responsibilities would be.

Six students were now expected to do the work of four members of paid staff While individually a couple of Guild staff - Matt Bate and Gareth Oughton -were very reassuring during this time, the Guild did not offer enough support, and the University completely discarded the issue and offered zero help. Communication was terrible and often the behaviour of paid staff was appalling.

I was personally ambushed on campus in grad week, when I had been drinking, and was asked to make logistical, promotional and financial decisions about music at Exeter without access to any emails, notes, society accounts, or consultation with other committee members.

The University loves showing off the success of our music societies and is very happy to publicly give money to high profile musical projects – such as Big Band playing at Montreux Jazz Festival this year, or Semitoned’s USA tour.

Yet it also cut the music degree in 2004, ignored huge student protest about changes to facilities in 2013, deliberately misled music students in meetings about changes to the teaching day this year, and announced the cut to music on the penultimate day of term two, via one of the Sabbs, which seemed like a very cynical move to squash student remonstration.

I have had to step down from my role due to ridiculous amounts of stress I still love music at Exeter, and am really enjoying the practical side of playing in various societies. That said, I have had to step down from my role on ExTunes committee due to the ridiculous amount of stress it was causing. I feel incensed at the situation and how it was dealt with. The University does not seem to care about the wellbeing, opinions or interests of its students at all.

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EXEPOSÉ

The war on legal highs Politics schmolitics Jack Sheeran

I

T is continually reported in the news that the police are at constant war with an illegal drug underworld, but it now appears to be the case that the war on legal highs is just as fierce.

New synthetic a n d herbal drugs are being created and discovered at an alarming rate, which means that the side effects of the drugs are not fully known. Little research goes into them before they are released to the public, and the legal system struggles to keep up with the pace of new legal highs as they come onto the market.

New synthetic and herbal drugs are being created at an alarming rate This is not a recent problem. Legal highs can be seen to date back many

years, with Devon and Cornwall Police carrying out raids on shops on a regular basis. Hush Head, a shop based in Exeter, which has two other stores in nearby towns, sells these legal highs and similar herbal extracts. In 2011 police raided two stores, Hush Head and The Strand in Exmouth, in an attempt to investigate the true legality of the businesses. Nothing was found on this occasion. However, in 2013 police seized more than £100,000 worth of once legal, now illegal drugs from the business.

There is a list of herbal extracts on the Hush Head website available for pur-

chase, which are sourced from a number of plants, leaves and mushrooms from across the globe. Effects of these extracts are noted to be similar

to illegal drugs such as cannabis, marijuana and ecstasy.

Legal highs pose as great a threat to society as illegal drugs do With the two owners of the Hush Head business earning in excess of £140,000 a year from the sale of legal highs and other products, it is clear that this is no small operation, but rather one which supplies a substantial demand in Exeter and wider Devon. In early 2014, a mother of seven reportedly died after becoming addicted to a then legal drug known as Summer Haze, which has been found to be fifty times more powerful than cannabis.

Legal highs therefore pose as great a threat to society and individuals as do illegal drugs, and with police departments ever stretched, and the legal system struggling to keep up with the rate by which these drugs are being released; the war on legal highs remains ongoing and as fierce as ever before.

James Beeson

Editor

I

LOOKED at my phone on the Tuesday of Freshers’ Week, and my heart sank. I had just received an email from the Politics Office informing me that the module I had desperately been looking forward to this term had been cancelled.

I was told I had to pick another 15 credit module from a selection of nine, two of which I had already studied the previous year.

Not only was this very frustrating from the perspective of my own personal interests, it was also incredibly disappointing from an administrative perspective on the part of the University.

To inform students less than a week before lectures begin that one of their modules has been cancelled is incredibly poor form. Additionally, I did not get to choose the module I especially wanted to study, but instead was told that I had to pick three, and that I would be allocated one depending on which module fitted with my current timetable.

As a third year student, this seems ludicrously unfair. The module I had previously selected was tailored to my

own personal interests, and would have been a highly useful source of inspiration for my dissertation. Given the amount of money we pay to study at a supposedly world-leading institution, the lack of choice and communication has been, on the whole, appalling.

The Politics Office eventually got back to me on the Friday of Freshers’ Week, telling me that I had been allocated one of my three choices. At the time of writing, seminars for this module have still not been added to my timetable.

This has left a number of students highly confused and angry This represents a serious lack of planning on the behalf of the department, and something that has left a number of students highly confused and angry.

Having only had a small amount of time to prepare myself, I have not been able to do any prior reading for my new module, and now find myself at a disadvantage going into my final year at university.

COMMENT ON CAMPUS “Do you think Britain is doing enough to help the refugee crisis?”

I just moved here from Austria but Austria are doing too little, they’re just shipping people off to other countries. There’s much more space there to give people shelter and help them out, rather than just sending them to Hungary.

Postgrad, Politics

I’m from the Balkans and I think it’s very easy for Britain to be removed from the rest of Europe because they’re an island. Germany is doing a lot so Britain should be doing more.

First year, Liberal arts

Everyone expects all the Western countries to take more refugees when countries like Japan, Korea, my home-country Singapore have just flat-out said no. We can’t just blame the West.

First year, English and Film

Photo: The Guardian

I think we should be taking more. I haven’t done the maths but we should take more than we are. I take issue with whether we should bomb Syria; that would only create more refugees.

Second year, Archeology

These people are suffering the consequences of their place of birth. The government isn’t taking that into consideration. People shouldn’t be punished just because of a few IS terrorist rumours.

First year, PPE

I think Britain is already having problems with immigrants, they shouldn’t take any more.

Second year, Business and Law

There is a perception that we’re not doing enough but that might be because what we are doing isn’t being publicised enough.

Third year, Law

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Exeposé Features

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The media is “stale, pale and male” Eleanor Mills, The Sunday Times Editorial Director, talks to Sarah Gough, Editor, about working for Andy Burnham, page three models and fighting against sexism in the media

I

SET foot in Murdoch’s media empire with little hope of ever getting back out. Mainly because the tube strike has hit, but also because this all feels slightly more MI5 than media metropolis.

Next door to The Shard, the News UK building is complete with a luxurious lobby, high-security barriers and panoramic views of the capital. No money in print journalism, you say? The elevator iPads beg to differ. I’m led up to the ninth floor, hurtling past head offices of The Sun, HarperCollins and The Wall Street Journal, to meet Eleanor Mills, Editorial Director of The Sunday Times.

Luckily her jolly face, bubbly demeanour and disorganised desk immediately dissipate the intimidating air of professionalism the building manages to exude. “The old office used to be a state”, Mills explains, before she frantically signs off a few emails and sits down to chat.

We are people amongst papers: copies are piled, scattered and flung every which way. A small flag stands limp on a chaotic corner shelf; it was handed to Mills by Michelle Obama on her recent visit to a London girls’ school.

Mills’ book Cupcakes and Kalashnikovs, an anthology of the best journalism by women in the last 100 years, is precariously placed beneath – doing little to symbolically reflect its stable spot on the A Level English syllabus for the last few years. Compiling articles and

opinion pieces from Sylvia Pankhurst to Mills herself, she describes editing it as “the gift that keeps on giving”, still beaming on account of her incessant royalty cheques. Ten years on, why is this book still so successful? “Because the debates are age-old”, she muses. Concerns of prewar women are still prevalent today. Can we be feminist and feminine, we ask? Can we work and mother? Can we have it all?

“Of course,” Mills contends – after all, she does.

Her career launched at Tank World – the world’s premier bulk liquid transportation publication and arguable Have I Got News For You fodder – but Mills grew tired of pitching storage stories to then-Editor Andy Burnham (who wouldn’t?). Leaving Labour behind, she went on to become the youngest feature editor of The Telegraph at 26. Later, she would head the creation of six new sections as Saturday editor of The Times.

Can we be feminist and feminine, can we have it all? Yes, of course The mother of two now juggles home life with her roles at The Sunday Times – she is simultaneously Editorial Director, Acting Editor of the magazine and News Review columnist - alongside her position

as Chair of Women in Journalism.

Having written extensively on feminist debates, online pornography and female genital mutilation, her opinions are powerful both in print and person.

Known for her staunch opposition to The Sun’s topless models (Page Three is edited just a few floors down), I wonder whether Mills’ advocacy for equality has always driven her journalism.

It’ll be 100 years before you really get any parity of women at the top “I think I’ve become more of a feminist as I’ve gotten older”, the 44-year-old replies, “I’ve become quite militant about the fact that if we’re not going forwards, we’re going backwards.”

Mills started studying at the University of Oxford in 1989, only a decade after women were first granted access.

As an undergraduate, Mills remembers how female representation was simply not talked about. “There were hardly any female tutors, there were no female heads of colleges except for the women’s colleges. That was completely normal - we weren’t even angry about it”, she admits.

Lauding the work of Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, Mills is appreciative of progress but quick

to dismiss the notion that sexism has become a defunct conversation. She argues that women’s contributions are continually trivialised: Many publications still prioritise female politicians’ heels over their ideals; Amal Clooney must now struggle to remain as ‘Interational Human Rights Lawyer’ first and ‘George Clooney’s wife’ second.

“The media is meant to be the mirror that we hold up to society”, Mills says. “If that mirror is essentially a distorting one because the people calling all the shots in all those newspapers are stale, pale males, to put it bluntly, you get a very distorted lens on what women do.”

As Chair of Women in Journalism, an organisation now in its 20th year, Mills is primarily concerned with the lack of female top dogs. Whether it’s in editing papers, running construction sites or leading financial operations, she refers to a “glacial” rate of change in terms of professional equality.

“There are quite a few senior women who are beginning to think that if you let things go at their current rate, it’ll be 100 years before you really get any parity of women at the top”, Mills argues. She is even persuaded by the notion that quotas might be the next step: “We’ve got to do something radical. Putting in a load of women at the top of the ecosystem would force a culture change that would then benefit others.”

Mills is a journalist intent on constantly re-evaluating what we, as a society, and The Sunday Times, as a paper, can do to improve. For her, tackling “stale pale male” elitism seems high on the agenda. “60 per cent of journalists are privately educated”, she explains, “and I think it’s gotten worse since I’ve been here”. The newspaper industry is, by her own admission, London-centric, elitist, white and male-dominated. How does one crack it, if one is none of the above?

60 per cent of journalists are privately educated “It’s all about ideas”, she maintains, “you need to be endlessly inquisitive and always be the person who bangs on one more door or who makes one more call.

When everyone else has given up, you keep on trying. Going the extra mile really pays off.”

Mills is one of the few people in the newspaper industry trying to cast the recruitment net wider: “you need different voices and people from diverse backgrounds. You don’t get an accurate picture if it’s all posh kids who went to Oxford.” We’re back to that same thought: contemporary media is not an honest depiction of society. If only there were more Eleanor Mills’ holding up the mirror.

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The press panned Jeremy Corbyn for not singing ‘God Save the Queen’ at a Battle of Britain memorial, but Helena Kate Bennett calls for a broader perspective on remembrance

W

E all grew up with the message: ‘we must never forget.’ You have to learn all about the two World Wars so that it never happens again. Teachers were clearer on this element of the history syllabus than any other.

In my case, the importance of the World War anniversaries was compounded by being at a Church of England primary school, which meant the excitement of a trip to the church.

Clearly these wars were very important, despite the strangeness of standing in silence trying to remember people and events that to a child seemed insurmountably distant.

As kids we read poems by Tommies in the trenches, watched Blackadder and dressed up as evacuees Back in the classroom we read poems

by Tommies in the trenches, watched Blackadder and dressed up as evacuees.

Later, in secondary school, we learned of Hitler’s evil: his persecution of Jews and others who didn’t conform to his fantasised society.

É

With this context, young people in Britain are usually in favour of marking important anniversaries relating to the two great conflicts of the last century.

Rightly so – we should take a break from our daily lives to recognise the bad in mankind’s past and indeed present.

Recently there have been a string of war memorials, for example the WWI centenary and the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. But are we really taking all we could from these occasions? As our response to Jeremy Corbyn’s recent reluctance to sing the praises of a Queen he believes should move into a semi proves, the way we mark them often becomes narrow and insular.

Although in recent years public figures have made more of an effort to pay homage to troops from our former colonies, the focus is generally on Britain.

Indeed, our whole culture of remembering the World Wars is highly Eurocentric, and arguably discourages further discussion. This is particularly true, in my opinion, of the justification “to stop it ever happening again”.

Unless that refers specifically and exclusively to a dictator taking over Germany, pushing Europe into a state of war and sending Jewish people to death camps, it

has happened again.

It’s happened more than once in many parts of the world. Because when I think about it, “it” means the primacy of any dictator, and the rise of conflict anywhere: the persecution of anyone by anybody else. In fact, I’m not sure that many in Europe appreciate all the implications of what “it” was the first time round.

Our whole culture of remembering the World Wars is narrow, insular and highly Eurocentric Even after taking into account how differently topics are covered in different schools, I feel I’m typical in having only been taught the mechanics of the conflicts within Europe. It was only really the combination of coming to university and meeting my partner that opened my eyes to the bigger picture.

My partner’s maternal grandfather took part in the Arctic Convoys whilst serving in the Royal Navy and was nearly deployed on the ground in Japan prior to VJ Day, while his paternal grandparents

met in Egypt.

Being ten years younger, my own grandparents spent the war at home, looking after younger siblings and hiding from bombs by lying on pantry shelves.

It’s shocking that my own knowledge should be so limited by this, but it was. As those who experienced WWII as adults make their way to the great street party in the sky, it’s more important than ever that our education system gives a full picture of what went on.

This is particularly true in light of ever increasing globalisation and the importance of diplomatic forums such as the UN. Real understanding of what the wars meant for Hungary, for example, would undoubtedly help us when working with them now.

The other vital thing we need to keep in mind when considering these anniversaries is that, while the individual service people involved were probably well-intentioned, Britain as a unit was not simply the good guy in a bad guy’s fight.

Of course, with hindsight, we were entirely justified in stopping the Third Reich’s atrocities, but at the time preserving our own security and influence were undoubtedly the main motivating factors.

That’s not necessarily a criticism.

If you take the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria and Iraq, one could see the queues of refugees at Europe’s door as a positive thing in terms of how the public have responded. The closer the conflict comes, the more galvanised we become to do something positive about it.

What would our forebearers think of the world we now live in, and of how we remember what they went through all those years ago? And would they feel as if we’ve made the most of their efforts to hand us a world worth living in?

We need to keep in mind that Britain as a unit was not simply the good guy in a bad guy’s fight Of course, there would probably be as many answers as people involved, but those are the kind of questions we must ask ourselves during every history lesson and at every remembrance service.

There are a string of war anniversaries that will be marked over the next few months and years, and we must treat each one as an opportunity to reflect, learn and improve.

Key war anniversaries for 2015 VE Day, 70th anniversary - 8 May 1945 Battle of Britain, 75th anniversary - 10 July 1940 Battle of Waterloo, 200th anniversary - 18 June 1815 WW1 Battle of Loos, 100th anniversary - 25 September 1915 Battle of Agincourt, 600th anniversary - 15 October 1415 Photo theretiringsort.com

Image credit: Alastaircampbell.org

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Caption Column Meet the latest romance in politics and popular culture.

Almost... in a recent prank, Sir Elton John spoke to a Putin impersonator.

Our writers get satirical...

Let’s get satirical NEWS 1-5

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“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart with autocratic, homophobic and bigoted oligarchy.”

JOE STEWART “Turns out Putin wasn’t singing Your Song’”.

NATALIE BARTRUM “Looks like Elton won’t be feeling the love tonight.”

FLORA CARR “Elton’s no longer feeling the Electricity.”

EAMONN CROWE “Awkward moment when you’re Putin your cards on the table it’s not their song.”

SOPHIE HARRISON “To be fair, Putin is a Madman Across the Water.”

THEODORE STONE

“Please stop singing, Elton, you’re Putin me off!”

FIONA POTIGNY FEATURED CAPTION

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EXEPOSÉ

Hameron gets roasted A

JEREMY BROWN

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Making a pig’s ear out of the news since 1987 William Sandbach Copy Editor

“Vladimir ‘Rocket Man’ Putin takes a break from occupying Eastern Europe.”

MUSIC 18-21

SHEEN of sweat gleams on the PM’s beefy forehead as I approach. We settle down to our meal and Cameron quickly expounds his feelings on the future of his recently victorious party.

“You see our new strategy, Back the Conservative Party - often shortened to BACON – is to encourage all those in the UK that we are the party of stability, security and prosperity.

Smooth as a piglet’s bottom

“That will happen when pigs fly!’ the Prime Minister guffaws loudly, sending flecks of spittle over the pristine white tablecloth. There is an awkward silence as Mr Cameron realises that he has unwittingly revealed his true feelings. He quickly reverts to his polished lack of persona.

“What I mean to say is that the Conservatives have ensured a strong and stable economy, securing jobs for hardworking families and providing care for those who are suffering.” He smiles - I am admittedly impressed at how smoothly he can tell

such a bare-faced porky pie.

“Now, onto more recent events Mr Cameron, namely that dead pig... would you care to answer some questions regarding the incident?”

The PM grunts to acknowledge the question, before beginning: “You know, the Conservatives were elected with a secure majority at the 2015 election. We are there to support hard working families and secure the nation’s future.” His response is ham-fisted. As I look into his eyes, I see a man oblivious to the gravity of the situation.

“Yes, Mr Cameron. You were reelected as Prime Minister but that doesn’t ignore Lord Ashcroft’s allegations… That you porked a pig…”

“Look, Ashcroft is a swine. This never happened. I mean for God’s sake, did you not see how Miliband dealt with that Bacon bap now that is disgusting!”

He snarls and gets up to leave.

“This interview has been a farce, and it is because you have made an absolute pig’s ear out of it!”

“We have garnered support from all over these islands; we are the second most popular party in Wales and somehow have a seat in Scotland.’”

I nod sympathetically as I notice just how wrinkle free his forehead is. Smooth as a piglet’s bottom.

“So, what are your thoughts on the prospect of Boris Johnson running for the post of Conservative leader when you step down?” I ask.

Curly fries stealing chip’s jobs Eamonn Crowe Deputy Editor

T

HE University of Exeter has been accused of discriminating against British chips in favour of the cheaper, foreign alternative of curly fries.

Extreme right wing group, the Chip Defence League - also known as the CDL - expressed their disdain for the popularity of curly fries in campus pub, The Ram. The CDL claims that, since 2011, The Ram has increased its orders of curly fries dramatically. It now stocks up to three times more curly fries than chips in order to meet demand for the foreign delicacy.

They argue it proves that British chips are being overlooked for consumption, with curly fries instead being favoured by Exeter’s student population.

Tony McCain, head of the CDL, released a statement last week: “The breed curly fries are a variation of French fries.

Therefore, in the name of Britishness, they shouldn’t be favoured over traditional, British thick-cut chips.

“This isn’t about taste or quality, it is about preserving national identity, which is threatened by the growing popularity of foreign foodstuffs, such as curly fries.”

The political group plan to lobby the University to take curly fries off of The Ram menu. They have also taken to social

media to raise awareness of their campaign, tweeting from their official account named @NoMoreCurlyFries. They have tweeted anti-curly fry posters to notable straight-fry advocate Maurice McDonald.

Rapper Chipmunk showed his support for the cause by legally changing his forename to “thick cut”.

This is about preserving national identity The poster captions play on the famous McCain Oven Chips slogan, such as ‘it’s NOT all good – go home!’ They are also encouraging the use of #British-

ChipsForBritishPeople.

The CDL hope awareness of the curly fries monopoly at Exeter University will feed into larger national debates.

“We need to define the rights of foreign food in British establishments,” concluded Mr McCain in his statement.

A second-year Politics student, who did not wish to be named, commented: “It is great that the University is at the centre of such heated debates.

“I do think the CDL has a point, and that we shouldn’t be prioritising foreign food over English grub. I think I’d be fine if they removed curly fries from The Ram menu, but if they get rid of Curry Club at Wetherspoons, that’d be a step too far.”

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LIFESTYLE Tweets of the week These people are clearly revelling in being back at university and have been utilising their time well so far...

Tweet us @ExeposeLStyle Lucy Ronan @lucy_ronan Only in Exetah would I be wearing flip flops to lunch Rebecca @RebeccaTeahan One thing student life has taught me is that it’s a lot harder to give yourself food poisoning than everyone makes out Kate Byard @KateByard FIRST PLACE AS POSTGRAD AT EXETER, FIRST PLACE IN THEIR POETRY COMP! Who are ya?! Who are ya?!

Alistair Heath @alistairheath “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig... but already it was impossible to say which was which” #orwell #piggate

Exeter Strikes Yak •

Just opened birthday card and loads of rice fell out. Probably from Uncle Ben

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Just bought squid for dinner this evening... After three years I have finally reached peak levels of Exetahhh

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I want someone to look at me the same way I look at the ram’s curly fries

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Overtaking someone on cardiac hill and instantly regretting it as you have to keep up your pace

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Shout out to all the other first years in my lectures taking meticulous notes when they’re only introducing the course

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28 SEPTEMBER 2015 | Exeposé Lifestyle

LIFESTYLE EDITORS Joshua Rotchelle Jack Wardlaw

EXEPOSÉ

@ExeposeLStyle

lifestyle@exepose.com

Battle of the bulge

After the controversial ‘Dear Fat People’ video, two Lifestyle writers weigh in to debate the nature of Nicole Arbour’s inflammatory comments about obesity

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EING overweight is not healthy. It’s not something we should aim for, it’s not something to glorify, and it’s not something we should ignore the health risks of. OK. That’s pretty much all common ground which Nicole Arbour covered. Yet sadly, this hasn’t always been the case. I’m ashamed to admit it, but backtrack a few years and I thought the only thing holding obese people back was laziness. They just weren’t trying hard enough.

I’d argue that the vast majority of obese people understand their lifestyle is unhealthy And then aged 16, I decided to try and lose some weight. Dropping a stone in a couple of months just confirmed my beliefs. This was easy. All you had to do was say no to yourself. You can probably guess where this ended. But in what seems like an enormous paradox, struggling against anorexia changed my mind about this whole obesity business. My eating became an emotional crutch. They were soon habits, and I clung to them. I knew they weren’t healthy, but at the same time I couldn’t imagine a life without them. And you know what? Something similar can often be said for those struggling to lose weight. The difference being, of course, that here the crutch isn’t restriction but over-eating.

Picture someone who struggles to maintain a healthy weight, who has developed an unhealthy relationship with food, and is now trapped by a cycle of mental and physical habits – compulsions, even – that they can’t break free of. Someone who knows their physical wellbeing is at risk but has reached a place where logical reason no longer gets a say. We should “shame people who have bad habits until they fucking stop,” Nicole Arbour says.

Now, if the person I described above were struggling with anorexia, chances are Arbour’s statement would spark outrage. Because anorexia is linked with vulnerability and helplessness. When

confronted with it, our instinct is to support and protect, because these people are ill. But now what if I said that the original person was obese? Perhaps they use food as an emotional support and have reached a point where they can no longer break free. But what is Arbour’s reaction to these people? To ridicule and condemn. Because they’ve done this to themselves.

Society has come a long way in understanding eating disorders such as anorexia – and realising it’s not simply a case of bullying someone into eating. Yet with obesity there’s still an ever-present undercurrent of: “if they really wanted to, they could help themselves.” Nicole Arbour argues that obesity is a choice.

“Make better choices,” she demands of overweight people. And fine: to someone happily piling on the pounds, her advice might work wonders. “Shit… you mean being obese actually isn’t good for my health?” People might gasp. But I’d argue the vast majority of obese people understand their lifestyle is unhealthy.

If the problem facing our society were that overweight people didn’t know they were unhealthy, Arbour’s video would be a worldwide awakening, but it’s not. The hurdle is trying to understand why people continue to over-eat even though they know it’s unhealthy. Treating obesity not as a choice – because really, who would choose to live at a weight that’s harmful to their health? But as a dangerous set of habits and compulsions which need to be properly understood, acknowledged and overcome.

This video is just a publicity stunt really, isn’t it? And

F

AT-SHAMING has become a hot topic in recent times, and Nicole Arbour’s ‘Dear Fat People’ video only fanned the flames. This issue has been raised before, but because an attractive white female was talking about it the Internet finally paid attention.

Fat-shaming is without doubt an issue, and nobody should be publically or personally shamed for any reason (although for some reason smokers are left out of this equation), but the problem of obesity is very real, and playing the ‘I’m offended card’ will not solve it.

Western culture is facing a serious issue of overeating and general excess in our diet, which is making us fatter Released to widespread criticism and disdain, Arbour’s video discusses the widespread concern over obesity in western culture. She starts off with a joke about angry fat people being unable to catch her because they’re fat. Though the joke is fairly tame, her annoying editing style and general demeanor only serve to make the delivery even more painful.

As a man who whole-heartedly believes that everything has a right to be satirised (with a time and place of course), the majority of her video is hard to stomach.

However, we can extricate ele-

ments of truth from within the cesspool of ignorance and misunderstanding, and discuss some very important issues.

The first is obesity, defined as a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it impacts health and reduced life expectancy. It affects one in every four adults and one in every five children aged ten to 11 in the UK. The term itself isn’t offensive, unless used in an inappropriate context or in a derogatory manner (like other descriptive words ‘fat’ and ‘black’). The difference between being obese and being fat is that one has a serious affect on health, while one does not.

The former can cause numerous lifethreatening conditions like type two diabetes, coronary heart disease and some types of cancer. The main cause of such a condition is eating too many fatty foods, which Arbour argues. Though it is perhaps unpopular to say so, western culture is facing a serious issue of overeating and general excess in our diet, which is making us fatter and more prone to health risks. In this way, the video does highlight an important social issue, buried beneath terrible jokes and painful jump cuts.

Interestingly, Arbour actually gives obese people the best advice available: to eat a healthy, reduced-calorie diet and exercise regularly. Once dissected, I think it’s clear there are tidbits of truth in what she’s saying, which need to be applied in society, but her delivery and style cloud people’s perception of the issue at hand.

Being obese is not a ‘normal’ weight or healthy in any way, and it should be discouraged, but in a compassionate way, and not with inflammatory jabs.

o n e that’s unlikely to actually help anyone. Gosh, how selfish.

And as for those saying she’s arguing that fat people aren’t beautiful. She isn’t. Beauty is a construct, a fabrication of the human mind that differs depending on who you talk to, so as long as you think you’re beautiful, you are.

HANNAH BUTLER

AKASH BERI, SCREEN EDITOR

A special Deliveroo EXEPOSÉ

LIFESTYLE

www.exepose.com

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Josh Mines, Deputy Editor, checks out the fine points of new-to-Exeter service Deliveroo Deliveroo Exeter www.deliveroo.co.uk

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HAT do you think of when you think of a takeaway? So often, greasy, cold fast food comes to mind. But thanks to a new start-up company that’s just come to Exeter, the days of the cheap and cheerful takeaway may be numbered.

Move over Just Eat, Deliveroo is in town.

We checked out Deliveroo for something to soothe our aching hangovers It was a hungover morning in Freshers’ week that my housemates and I were in serious need of some wholesome sustenance. Straying from the beaten path of our regular takeaway favourites, we had a look at Deliveroo’s website for something different to soothe our aching heads.

From browsing the list of restaurants already signed up to Deliveroo’s service it’s easy to see what the main selling point of the company is. The quality and choice

of food is pretty impressive. Deliveroo works with established restaurants, allowing them to offer takeaway options to their customers. So far, the likes of Exeter’s more upmarket eateries like Hubbox, Carluccio’s and On The Waterfront are all available to be delivered straight to your door. You can even get a salad from Forn if that’s the kind of thing you’re into.

But we were in no mood for salad.

We settled on Urban Burger and had a look through the menu. The website looks slick and is easy to navigate.

Even though you have to create an account with Deliveroo to place your order, the only information that’s required is your email address and a password, so there’s no need to worry about precious gorging time being wasted on needless admin. I opted for the Big Kahuna (now that is a tasty burger) while my housemates went for two Smoky Mountains. I was surprised to see that the estimated delivery time was only 30 minutes; my heart had been broken by the false delivery claims of Domino’s before, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to trust Deliveroo’s suave boasts just yet.

Thankfully, I was not disappointed. One and a half episodes of South Park later, the driver had hopped over to our

house. The question on my mind now was whether the quality of the food could match what Urban Burger serve in their restaurant. Deliv-

eroo excels here too: as the food is made in the same kitchen as restaurant quality food, you’re actually guaranteed a certain level of flavour that regular takeaways just can’t compete with. Though the chips were a little colder than I’d have liked, the food tasted great and ensured that I wasn’t moving from the sofa for the rest of the day: exactly what you want from a good takeaway, right?

If there’s one thing I can see deterring students from using Deliveroo, it would be the price.

We paid £10 each for our food, which isn’t bad, but it’s considerably more than a standard takeaway.

Even though the delivery cost itself is

only £2.50, by definition restaurant quality food will be a bit more expensive than Mega Kebab, so if all you want is junk food then Deliveroo might not be worth the extra mark-up. Personally, it made enough difference for me to consider using the service again.

If all you want is junk food, the service may not be worth the extra cost So, next time you’re thinking of ordering a takeaway, forget Domino’s, and consider what Deliveroo has to offer.

É

- Deliveroo are middle-men.

They don’t make food themselves, but deliver on behalf of existing restaurants - They charge a fixed, flat delivery fee of £2.50 - The average Deliveroo delivery time is 32 minutes - The company offers deliveries to workplaces as well as homes

Can Uni Grub do the business for the foodie blues?

Exeposé Lifestyle inspects the Exeter-made recipe catalogue aimed at complete culinary newbies

Uni Grub www.uni-grub.co.uk

I

T happens all the time. You get home after a hard day’s procrastination, sit down to the Netflix that’s set up over that essay due on Thursday, and then realise that you’re hungrier than a dead pig at a Piers Gaveston social (#satire).

Not to worry, right? You’ve got all those student cookbooks you carefully hunted down on Amazon – hours went into selecting those bad boys, ensuring you’d have the perfect mix to cook up any grub you could possibly want to introduce to your gullet. But you’ve been working hard at doing nothing all day. You don’t want to get up and shovel through all

those recipes, or for that matter, get up at all.

The truly lazy might want to point their eyes a few inches up this page at our review of Deliveroo. For the rest of us, there’s Uni Grub, a brand new catalogue of cooking resources set up by Exeter student Alex Hooper, which is here to help save your bacon (perhaps quite literally).

The food on display is rather stomachrumblingly handsome Sporting such essential clichés as “by students, for students”, the site promises to offer “a wide range of recipes and tutorials for a ‘chef’ of any level.” The idea is, you have all the recipes that are ultra-easy

right at your fingertips, and can knock something out in a couple of minutes, regardless of whether you know your spatulas from your spaghetti.

For those who’ve never touched a pan in their life (there are more of you than you’d think!), getting your own place as a second year or moving into self-catered accommodation in your first year can be a tough step (if you’re moving into catered, you’re only delaying the inevitable!).

Uni Grub does offer a lot of assistance in this regard: you could be completely stumped on the simple process of cooking pasta, and I tell you no lie, there is a page specifically devoted to teaching just this skill on the site.

When you’re ready to move on to the daunting world of (shocker) actually having more than one ingredient in your

meals, you might even check out the full recipes list, which is handily sorted by main ingredients. Only got drumsticks and a few other gubbins in your fridge?

Click the “chicken” link and you’ll be pumping out pimpin’ platters of poultry in no time.

The site (while looking very sexy) is slightly lacking in recipe quantity The actual interface of the website is easy to use, with all options being obvious, well-presented and in a colour palette almost as sexy as your campus newspaper’s.

The food on show is also rather stomach-rumblingly handsome, once you’ve grasped the basics, which the site is happy

to hold your hand through, you can get to some seriously tasty cookery.

However, once you break out of the easier stuff, you will be craving more. The site (while looking very sexy) is slightly lacking in sheer number of recipes at the moment. Until it’s expanded a little, you probably shouldn’t be throwing out those super-cool cookbooks you bought just yet.

All the same, experienced cooks probably shouldn’t give up on it altogether.

The site has a lot of potential, looking very professional with only a few goofs (broken links, that kinda thing). There’s definitely room for expansion here.

There’s no better time to learn than at uni, where most of what you do doesn’t really matter anyway (especially in your first year!). Uni Grub is definitely a good start – check it out!

Photo: esnoticia.co

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MUSIC Gig Listings

Tuesday 29 September Mahatma Music with Bloom + Guests Cavern, Exeter Wednesday 30 September Lady Maisery Phoenix, Exeter Thursday 1 October Psycroptic, Scarred, Cambion & Cryostorm Cavern, Exeter Friday 2 October Rhodes Phoenix, Exeter Saturday 3 October Indie Club with Raglands & Hey Rocco Cavern, Exeter Big Narstie Phoenix, Exeter Monday 5 October RVIVR & Muncie Girls Cavern, Exeter Friday 9 October Stanton Warriors Phoenix, Exeter Sunday 11 October Ruarri Joseph Cavern, Exeter

Exeposé Recommends...

RVIVR & Muncie Girls @ Cavern, Exeter Monday 5 October This gig, the first of Freakscene’s ‘Roctober’ shows, promises to be incredible. Headlining are RVIVR, who are from Olympia, Washington. The band are known for their energetic live performances, touring, and defense of gender equality. Support comes from Exeter indie-pop band Muncie Girls, who are currently writing their first album after several successful EPs and splits

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-14 16-17 8-10

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28 SEPTEMBER 2015 | Exeposé Music

MUSIC EDITORS James Atherton Katie Costello

EXEPOSÉ

@ExeposeMusic

music@exepose.com

‘Cool’ music: A bluffer’s guide Not content with how people perceive your taste in music? Joe Stewart, Online Music Editor gives a five-step guide to pretending you like the coolest bands around

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ELLO wannabe. You want people to think you have a cool music taste, right? You want them to be jealous of your cool music taste.

You’re convinced that having a cool music taste is an essential facet of cool, mysterious, and intellectual people. You know, those people that apathetically browse old Americana records in their upcycled vintage jeans and tiny little woollen beanies.

Don’t try and tell me that “taste is ultimately subjective,” and that “coolness is simply a concept bestowed by the self-congratulatory underground hipster hegemony.” You’re lying to yourself.

Once you identify a genre that sounds dubious, you’re on to something Allow me to get this out early on, buddy. You can’t just have a cool music taste, alright? That’s reserved for people who are already, and have always been, cool. My apologies. But do not despair yet - there is still a tiny chance YOU can be cool. All you have to do is follow this 5 step bluffer’s guide to pretending you like cool music, and the world of grimy indie club nights and blogosphere fame will be your oyster.

STEP 1: Identify the trendiest underground genre of the moment by conducting a detailed survey of the obscurest blogs in the music blogosphere.

The first step, bluffer, in convincing people that you have a cool music taste involves literally hours of browsing.

A simple google search of cool music 2015 isn’t going to cut it, though. You’re going to have to dive headfirst into the murky waters of the blogosphere, following links, reading comments and noting share counts (if it’s above

1000, abort. It’s already gone mainstream.) Once you identify a genre that keeps cropping up and sounds dubious, you’re onto something. If it’s been unconfidently inserted into a guest-written Noisey article within the last fortnight and hyped without any identifiable evidence for said hype, you’ve found your genre. Let’s say you’ve just discovered “future-folk.”

STEP 2: Get to bandcamp as soon as you can and order every cassette-only release you can afford tagged with “future-folk.”

If you’re not sure what bandcamp is at this point, you’re probably a lost cause. But, if you’re a first time bluffer, I’ll excuse you. Bandcamp is a website where literally thousands of small-time bands, producers and DJs host their music. It’s a veritable goldmine of trendy tunes and the virtual haunt of anybody who has a cool music taste. Using the discover page, locate “future-folk”. Click on artists solely on the merit of their minimalist artwork, and buy their cassette. Then, segway to their Dalston-based record label, and buy everything else on there.

Don’t worry if you don’t own a cassette player. As a bluffer, it’s obviously not required that you actually enjoy the music

pressed at considerable cost onto magnetic tape reels.

The less your friends understand, the cooler they’ll think it is STEP 3: Return to the blogosphere and start your own blog.

In order for your bluffing to be successful, it’s crucial that your friends, acquaintances and your campus crush arrive at the realisation that you have a cool music taste by themselves. If you start mouthing off about ‘futurefolk” and its “creation by such-andsuch who got bored of the rigid compositional confines of folktronica,” then you’ve blown it. Start a blog, and share it around in an offhand manner on social media. Don’t come across as enthusiastic. Keep your blog content irreverent and tangential. Post pictures of your vast cassette collection and write about each band as if you know twice as much as anyone else. It really doesn’t matter what you write, and whether any of it is correct. You’re bluffing, remember. The less your friends understand, the cooler they’ll think it is.

S T E P 4: Consolidate your new persona and step out into the real world, revelling in the jealous, admiring gazes levelled at you across the street.

It’s time to leave the internet behind and face the (cool) music, but first of all you’ve got to look the part.

Taking note of what garments constitute the future-folk look, scour local charity shops, vintage stores and Etsy and purchase them. Mix your new outfit with one item from your uncool, unstylish past, to

ward off accusations that you’re pandering to a fad, and step out into the world (e.g. cramped coffee shops with book-swap policies) in scuffed, metallic-silver desert boots.

If the tragically mainstream individuals who you used to associate with accost you with questions about your cool music taste, they are probably trying to copy you. But make sure you can talk the talk. The three golden rules are as follows: 1) Everything a band releases besides their first demo and second album is terrible. It’s too predictable to like the first album, and all third albums are a sell-out, man. Demo and second album, nothing else. B-sides are sometimes allowed.

2) You’ve got to convince them that you’ve liked “future-folk” for a long time. If they start to suspect something, namedrop incredibly niche record labels or just make some stuff up.

Intimidate with your coolness.

3) After a month at most, claim that “future-folk” is dead. See below.

STEP 5: Abort. You no longer listen to future-folk, and you probably never did.

Once something gets hot, it’s no longer cool. Like, duh? You’ve come far, bluffer. You’ve pretended that you like cool music so convincingly that people actually think you possess a cool music taste. Because of this, you’ve now transitioned from being a tragic, uncool and embarrassing mainstream loser to a enigmatic, stylish figure, admired both in the virtual and real world. Perceived as an authority on albums and bands that wouldn’t be seen dead in HMV, you’ve bluffed your way to social admiration. You’ve worked hard, but, just as you’ve reached your zenith, it’s time to take things back to square one. Frankly, 'future-folk” is no longer cool. Ditch any association you have with it the minute you glance it on your friend’s “recently added” iTunes playlist.

You may feel uneasy hopping off the bandwagon that you shamelessly boarded to reach Coolsville USA, but don’t worry. You’re a bluffing pro.

Re-read this guide, get right back on the internet and wait for the ambientdark-trap 12:05 service to pull into the station.

EXEPOSÉ

Seeking Fame and Fortune www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

James Beeson, Editor, passes his verdict on the likely lads first release in eleven years Anthem For Doomed Youth The Libertines 11 September 2015

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OR Libertines fans, Anthems For Doomed Youth represents a metaphor for something the naysayers never thought possible; a new album from a band many had consigned to the history books. A botched Reading festival headline set in 2010, followed by last year’s gigs at Hyde Park and Alexandra Palace, widely believed to have been a money-making scheme to fund guitarist Pete Doherty’s determined attempts to kill himself with heroin, meant the cynics amongst us doubted we would ever see the band release another full length LP. It was somewhat unexpected, therefore, when ‘the boys in the band’ announced early this year that they were working on a new album, which duly arrived, (albeit a week late and after two cancelled gigs) much to the delight of the London quartet’s loyal fanbase, earlier this month.

Is Anthems nthems For Doomed Youth worth the wait? In a word: Yes. Drawing on a wealth of experiences, dramas, and drug-fuelled rock & roll rampages; The Libertines have created a modern masterpiece that cements their place as one of the most important British bands of the 21st century.

Doherty’s wordsmanship is clearly unaffected by his ongoing battles with

addiction. He and best friend/worst enemy Carl Barât are the perfect foil as they discuss their vices: “Got to find a vein, it’s always the same,” drawls Doherty on the reggae inspired ‘Gunga Din’, whilst Barât speaks bleakly about his depression on ‘Belly of the Beast’: “Back in London’s grey scotch mist, staring up at my therapist/He says ‘pound for pound, blow for blow/You’re the most messed up motherfucker I know.”

The breakdown in Barât and Doherty’s relationship features throughout, “You thought that they were brothers, then they half-murdered each other,” Barât offers on the title track, before a thinly veiled dig at Doherty’s subsequent solo career, “Then he did a karaoke turn and murdered our best song.” On ‘Glasgow Coma Scale Blues’ Doherty attacks Barât’s decision to replace with friend Anthony Rossamando in 2004 “You think it’s easy/With a best friend who deceives me?”

Despite the personal barbs, however, the duo’s special relationship holds the chaotic

frame of the band together. Doherty offers a touching tribute in the form of early demo and album highlight ‘You’re my Waterloo’, whilst Barât acknowledges on ‘Fury of Chonburi’ that he cares about Doherty: “I do wish him well/ I got him under my spell.”

Doherty’s wordmanship is clearly unaffected by his battles with addiction In amongst the turmoil, there are classic Libertines quips. Little details, like Doherty’s memo-to-self on ‘Gunga Din’, ‘“Oh what are you doing, you stupid fucking idiot? Wake up!” emphasise the middle-finger-to-the-world attitude that characterises the band. Arrogance has always been a part of The Libertines

make-up and ‘Fame and Fourtune’ is another likely crowd pleaser. A cocky-esque singalong, it makes up for what it lacks in depth with a rabble-raising chorus, “Like tin soldiers responding to the call/To Camden we will crawl/One and all.”

There are softer moments, too. ‘Iceman’ is an acoustic ballad that has echoes of The Beatles ‘I am the Walrus’, whilst ‘Dead for Love’ is a homage to Doherty’s late collaborator Alan Wass - a chronic alcoholic killed by a £15 heroin deal. It is credit to Doherty’s songwriting and delivery that a demise so brutal is made to feel poignantly romantic.

Anthems For Doomed Youth combines the very best of The Libertines chaotic early days with a new sophistication developed in between the band’s breakup and their subsequent reunion. Ultimately, whether Doherty and Barât’s fragile friendship will stand up to the demands of touring, and whether good ship Albion can avoid the perils which haunted it’s crew during their formative years, remains to be seen. For now, however, they have earnt the right to bask in the knowledge that they have created the finest album of the year to date, and perhaps one of the greatest reunion albums there has ever been.

The First Month of Term Tape

You made it through Freshers’ Week and now all you have to do is make that 8:30am lecture. We’re here to help you through the start of term, with a playlist to represent your sheer enthusiasm for a new academic year.

‘Ride of the Valkyries’ - Richard Wagner - Harry Shepherd ‘September’ - Earth, Wind and Fire - Susannah Keogh ‘Recovery’ - Frank Turner - Theodore Stone ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ - Green Day - Chris Kuuky (My grades are already) ‘A Lost Cause’ - Fiona Potigny ‘Eye of the Tiger’ - Survivor - Harry Shepherd ‘Ain’t Gon’ Cry’ - Mary J. Blige - Sarah Gough

MUSIC

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Hot / Not / Long Shot / Forgot Fiona Potigny, News Editor gives her opinion on what’s hot, what’s not, something that is a bit of a long shot and what has scandalously been forgotten.

Hot: ‘Easy Love’ – Sigala A pinch of aural sunshine woven with the feel-good vocals of a junior MJ, this is the spirit song for those struggling to believe assessments and rain are now the status quo to help them to hang onto summer that little bit longer.

Not: ‘Sugar’ – Robin Schulz feat. Francesco Yates With plentiful references to “sugar”, “spice”, “cherry lips” and “angel eyes”, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a “My First Make-up Set” jingle for the Mizz Magazine demographic. Sadly, this is not the case, and the fresh club goer is doomed to the meh-notonous drone of “Sugar, how you get so fly?”

Long Shot: ‘Lush Life’ – Zara Larsson With Major Lazer’s summer smash, ‘Lean On’ dominating holiday playlists, we all glanced over this Swedish songstress with dreamy Rihanna-like vocals. Don’t make the mistake again, and make sure not to miss her second stab at the UK playlists, ‘Never Forget You’ with MNEK. Forgot: ‘The Ketchup Song (Asereje)’ – Las Ketchup I’m really mourning this dance craze classic. Let’s be honest, awkward bump, bop or grind, no one knows what to do with their bodies in da club. At least these tunes gave us some instruction.

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MUSIC

Money with Minesy

Field report: a fe NEWS 1-5

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-14 16-17 8-10

MUSIC 18-21

SCREEN 22-24

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32

GAMES 34-36

SPORT 38-40

28 SEPTEMBER 2015 |

EXEPOSÉ

From glitter at Glastonbury to riots at Reading, Exeposé Music give an overview

Increasingly, value for money is becoming a key part in deciding which festivals we should invest our hard-earned dollar into going to. In these tough economic times, difficult decisions have to be made and often the element that comes under the most scrutiny is the lineup, compared to the overall cost of the festival.

And rightly so. But the way I see it, most major festivals where the ticket cost will range from about £180-200 are without a doubt worth the money. Reading alone booked three acts who could all comfortably sell out an arena tour (though Mumford & Sons really shouldn’t be able to), and to add to that all the diddy new bands you’ll see in an attempt to be edgy, and from a financial standpoint you’re actually saving yourself a tonne of money on gig tickets.

But one thing this analysis misses is that festivals aren’t just a big gig, they’re an experience too, man. Having gone to Bestival a few weeks ago, a festival I’d never been to and I didn’t think had the most inspiring lineup, I’d say that the overall vibe and facilities of a festival can also make or break its appeal and make it worth every penny. Bestival’s aesthetics and stage design were incredible; simply watching an unknown DJ on stages like the Invaders of the Future stage became a mindblowing and richly rewarding experience.

Balancing this experience was also the appearance of big acts like veteran dance duo The Chemical Brothers, funk outfit The Jacksons and even the London grime collective BBK. Having spent four years going to Reading and constantly worrying about missing bands, it was a relief to not feel the pressure of rushing around trying to see every band I’d highlighted on my clashfinder, and to instead just cruise about the arena picking and choosing what sounded worth listening to, dude.

So take my advice and go to a festival to listen to new bands, with new people, in a new environment. And chill about the money, bro.

JOSH MINES, EXEPOSÉ ECONOMICS EXPERT

Latitude Katie Costello

Somersault Kate Giff

Best Act: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - They played Champagne Supernova and Talk Tonight, so that was amazing.

Best New Act: Sundara Karma - They threw microphones and beer. This should have come across as arrogant, but they actually played really well and their songs were brilliant.

Best Thing Seen: Queue to see Dr John Cooper Clarke at midnight.

Worst Thing Seen: Family festival meant we got no sleep. Shout out to Pepper and Finn, the annoying children in the tent next to us who were up at seven every morning to make pancakes.

Best Act: Bombay Bicycle Club - They were on fire for their last performance before going to work on their new album.

Best New Act: Jeremy Loops from South Africa - He has an amazing voice and did wonders with a loop pedal. He got all the audience involved and was a highlight even though I’d never heard of him.

Best Thing Seen: The amazing setting and really cool tents including meditation and feasting tents which set it apart from other festivals.

Worst Thing Seen: The rain! - all day for three days, meaning people and cars had to be dragged out of the mud.

BathFest Rob Churchus

Lamer Tree Festival Sophie Nield

Best Act: Clean Bandit- On the last night, they brought the crowd together with their eclectic mix of instrumentation and catchy songs.

Best New Act: Bite the Buffalo Sounding like a chilled-out Royal Blood, this duo impressed on the Introducing Stage.

Best Thing Seen: A portaloo three-way, I wasn’t involved but let’s just say the locks aren’t as good as they look.

Worst Thing Seen: The Red Bull Tent - I failed to see a single live band there.

Best Act: Coco and the Butterfields They mixed hip-hop and folk to create an awesome set whilst crammed into the tiny garden stage.

Best New Act: The Drystones – They played multiple times over the festival and brought an amazing energy.

Best Thing Seen: Middle-aged women on people’s shoulders throwing knickers at Tom Jones.

Worst Thing Seen: An old naked man imitating Rose from The Titanic.

Field Day Kate Burgess Best Act: tUnE-yArds - Garbus’s vocal wizardry added a whole new dimension to an already incredibly rich discography.

Bet New Act: TALA - They were a firm favourite who blended middle eastern influences really well with electro-pop.

Best Thing Seen: Todd Terje got out a troupe of burlesque dancers for a raucous rendition of Inspector Norse in the predusk sunny sunlight. Bliss.

Worst Thing Seen: Caribou being fucked by appalling sound engineering.

Glastonbury James Beeson Best Act: Jamie T - Back after a five year absence, the cockney troubadour delighted the crowd with a deluge of new material and classic hits.

Best New Act: Fat White Family - Their brand of divisive heavy rock is both incredibly tasteless and insanely punchy.

An excellent personal discovery.

Best Thing Seen: The whole vibe and feel of the festival is something quite special in itself.

Worst Thing Seen: Kanye. ‘Nuff said.

estival round-up EXEPOSÉ

MUSIC

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

w of the best, worst and everything inbetween from this summer’s festival season

Photo: Reddit

Slam Dunk South Gareth Behn

Isle of Wight Festival Tristan Gatward

Best Act: Architects - Headlining the second stage, Architects brought all of their customary energy and brutality to their set.

Best New Act: Beartooth - One would never guess that this band has only one album.

Best Thing Seen: Dav from Bury Tomorrow sticking his fingers into a fan’s mouth and holding his mouth open while posing for a photo.

Worst Thing Seen: People waiting to see Goldfinger booing the band themselves. Their set was delayed due to sound problems completely out of their hands.

Best Act: Fleetwood Mac - For their musicianship as much as their novelty. They are a timeless phenomenon with a brilliant back-catalogue of hits.

Best New Act: Champs - They were out of tune and hungover with poor sound and tech, but their songs were objectively incredible.

Best Thing Seen: An old man wearing only tight green jeans and a top hat waltzing with himself to Jethro Tull.

Worst Thing Seen: An old man wearing only tight green jeans and a top hat waltzing with himself to Jethro Tull.

Wireless Festival Tré Johnson

Lovebox Alex Brammer

Reading Festival Jim Atherton

Bestival Katie Costello

Best Act: Drake - accompanied by The Weeknd and ILoveMakkonnen - blew the crowd away.

Best New Act: Krept & Konen - Their set got the crowd jumping and going crazy, despite their early set time.

Best Thing Seen: Skepta performing ‘Shutdown’ with Drake during his set.

Worst Thing Seen: A$AP Rocky stopping his show four times to complain about the quality of the microphone. Just get on with it - it’s not the crowd’s fault.

Best Act: Action Bronson - Performing most of his new album, Bronson remains one of the best new performers in hip-hop Best New Act: Vaults - No, not the club!

A great synthpop three-piece with an amazing stage presence. It’s the hipster’s alternative to CHVRCHΞS. Best Thing Seen: I can’t be the only one who was shocked seeing Craig Charles perform two DJ sets in one day.

Worst Thing Seen: Snoop Dogg’s phoned-in headline set.

Best Act: Kendrick Lamar - Sporting a full band, his set was exhilarating and impressive on so many levels.

Best New Act: Youth Man - Youth Man are a punk rock three-piece whose energetic stage presence and music translated perfectly on the Lock-Up Stage.

Best Thing Seen: I met Frank Turner, it all went quite quickly but we hugged for what felt like a lifetime.

Worst Thing Seen: Bucket hats and eheads stumbling out of the 1xtra Stage.

Best Act: Jungle - They were even better live than they are recorded, they didn’t play a bad song in the entire set.

Best New Act: New York Brass Band - A new brass band from York playing everything from 99 Luftballons to Get Lucky Best Thing Seen: The Chuckle Brothers twenty minute set consisting almost entirely of the words “to me, to you” Worst Thing Seen: People snorting cocaine during the Jacksons set. What would Michael have thought?

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Odds on Exeposé Music have consulted their crystal ball and some reputable high-street betting chains to give you the best odds on who could be headlining these festivals next year...

Glastonbury Foo Fighters 4/5 Adele 2/1 Oasis 7/1 Rita Ora 20/1 Spice Girls 60/1 Reading & Leeds Festival Red Hot Chili Peppers 2/1 Pulp 15/1 Royal Blood 15/1 AC/DC 20/1 Craig David 60/1 Bestival Wu-Tang Clan 3/1 The Vaccines 3/1 Kendrick Lamar 15/1 The Killers 50/1 N.W.A. 70/1 Slam Dunk Festival All Time Low 2/1 Bring Me The Horizon 4/1 Don Broco 5/1

Marmozets 10/1 Bombay Bicycle Club 500/1

Isle of White Festival The Libertines 3/1 Pulp 5/1 Manic Street Preachers 10/1 Beyoncé 50/1 Metallica 70/1 Latitude Florence and the Machine 4/5 Frank Turner 2/1 Foals 5/1 Blue 50/1 Download Festival Metallica 2/1 Black Sabbath 10/1 Guns N’ Roses 20/1 Babymetal 200/1 (DISCLAIMER: Most of this information is completely made up.)

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SCREEN

NEWS 1-5

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-14 16-17 8-10

MUSIC 18-21

SCREEN 22-24

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32

GAMES 34-36

SPORT 38-40

28 SEPTEMBER 2015 |

EXEPOSÉ

SCREEN Zombies: dead on its feet?

Exeposé Screen

SCREEN EDITORS Akash Beri Ben Londesbrough

@ExeposeScreen

screen@exepose.com

Newsreel

Pacific Rim 2 to be ‘halted indefinitely’

Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim, was a “love it or loathe it” robot and monster fight fest. Now it seems the studio can’t decide whether it loves or loathes it, halting production on the sequel ‘indefinitely’. Caught in the crossfire of other failures in the studio system, Universal seemingly cannot decide whether to invest, despite many hours already put into pre-production.

Confirmed cameos in Ghostbusters reboot Production has now wrapped on director Paul Feig’s 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters. The film will see a whole new set of female ghostbusters that includes Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mckinnon and Leslie Jones taking on various supernatural beings. However, after much debate, some of the original ghostbusters – Dan Akroyd, Ernie Hudson and Bill Murray – have been confirmed for cameos in the film. It will be released July 2016.

Mixed reception for BBC drama about Rockstar Games The BBC’s most recent dramatic outing, The Gamechangers, based on the controversy surrounding Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, has recieved mixed reviews from various outlets.

Rockstar Games weren’t too impressed with the feature length drama, comedically tweeting the BBC directly, saying “Was Basil Brush busy? What exactly is this random, made up bollocks?”

James Hands decides whether or not the zombie genre will stand the test of time

W

HETHER they’re portrayed as slow remnants of life or quick and agile mutants, zombies have dominated the horror genre. From George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead to more recent films and TV series such as Marc Forster’s World War Z and The Walking Dead, the zombie has been used over and over for their uncanny ability to scare. The question must be asked though: how many times can zombies be recycled before the results become tiresome?

While far from being the first zombie film conceived, George Romero’s 1968 film Night of the Living Dead offered insight into the problems a zombie invasion posed to the media, government and civil defence. Romero’s specific focus on a rural farmhouse personalises the terror within the film, forcing the viewer to associate their feelings with the characters through the domestic setting.

The problem of repetition, however, inevitably arises through the passing of time, and Hollywood’s seeming inability to produce original content. As the years have gone by, the various sequels, prequels and remakes have resulted in a rehash of similar situations, characters and plotlines.

Therefore, in recent years, the most successful zombie films have removed the focus from the zombies as a source of horror and found alternative avenues, such as comedy. Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright’s successful 2004 film Shaun of the Dead cleverly pays homage to the likes of Romero while reimagining the ways in which zombies are perceived in film. Shaun of the Dead, for example, ends with Shaun playfully engaging with his best friend Ed, who by this point has become one of the undead.

This comic interaction, which partners tropes of the classic zombie genre with the buddy/bromance genre that grew out of the noughties, proves that the defining qualities of the zombie genre can change alongside the continually changing tastes of the public.

Another example is 2009’s Zombieland, again taking some formal ele-

ments of classic horror and utilising them to great effect for laughs. On the other hand, modern zombie films such as Marc Forster’s World War Z, which was met with comparatively less enthusiastic reviews, seemingly reject this move forward, instead heavily borrowing from the scenarios and situations that would have been better suited to audiences several decades ago.

I doubt the merit of having another zombie show on our screens Then there’s The Walking Dead, the TV show based on the hugely popular comic book series. The show began very well, making the transition from page to screen with great effectiveness. The series was well run, with horror movie veteran Frank Darabont as the showrunner and main developer. However, complications came when Darabont

stepped away from the show, with some rumours citing that he found it difficult to

adjust to the schedule of producing television, and others saying he couldn’t hack the executives “meddling”. Glenn Mazarra took over as showrunner, bringing a tonal shift to the series, setting it on a farm for pretty much the entirety, not dissimilar to Romero’s Night of The Living Dead. Some loved the new, slower pace, others weren’t too enthused, with zombie legend Romero himself saying it is “a soap opera with a zombie occasionally”. Season Three is where the show lost itself, not knowing what it

wanted to be or where it was heading.

It started going in circles, and despite killing off some serious characters, it couldn’t keep me hooked. Mazzara left the show at the end of the third season, stating that he found it difficult to cope with the constant changes the TV network made, possibly explaining the instability of the series.

I couldn’t comment on the more recent seasons, but from what I have read, the show has returned to some form of consistency and praise.

The show has also spawned a companion show, a spin-off called Fear the Walking Dead, which revolves around people before and during the outbreak of the zombie apocalypse. However, the decision to have a second show, essentially about the same thing, strikes me as strange and unnecessary, adding to the output of rehashes and redos. Although I cannot definitively comment, as I haven’t seen the show, I doubt the merit of having another zombie show on our screens.

However, The Walking Dead has provided

another spin-off, in the form of the video games. Here, story and character development are emphasised and are affected by the dialogue choices of the player, as well as their actions during quick time events, turning the game into a rather cinematic, narrative experience. The Last Of Us, another hugely successful zombie-survival video game recently swept up awards and gained universal acclaim. It’s not hard to understand why these games are hugely successful, as they allow the gamer to connect with the emotions of the characters, and the horror inherent in a zombie apocalypse. With video games becoming more cinematic, perhaps the zombie genre has found a new home?

The zombie genre isn’t dead, it’s just biding its time to invade...

The modern emulations of classic zombie cinema are not particularly good, and by focusing on the emotional response of the viewer, the video games have tapped into a vein that modern iterations can’t seem to find. Spoofs of the zombie genre also tap into a personal side through comedy. Both of these allow a spectator to identify more with the protagonists than out and out zombie horror can allow, similar to how the zombie classics and greats affected us. The zombie genre isn’t dead, it’s just biding its time to invade our screens through other mediums. And it’ll happen sooner than you think. You might want to grab a zombie survival kit.

Emmys 2015: highlights

EXEPOSÉ

www.exepose.com

SCREEN

23

Akash Beri, Screen Editor, gives you the lowdown on the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards

I

N the aftermath of the 2015 Emmys, people are abuzz over HBO’s domination of the awards night. Game of Thrones, the popular fantasy show based on George R.R. Martin’s novel series, picked up a record–breaking 12 awards, including the prestigious Best Drama Series. Like Lord of the Rings did at the Oscars in 2004, the fantasy show has smashed the genre boundary facing fantasy material when it comes to awards. The consistently popular show recently wrapped up season five, taking fans on a roller-coaster of emotions, with an epic story and character development.

The night marks a massive win for HBO, carting home 43 Emmys Its other wins included Best Writing, Best Direction and Best Supporting Actor for Peter Dinklage, who plays the fan favourite Tyrion Lannister. The pre-

vious record holder was The West Wing which won nine awards in 2000. The night marks a massive win for HBO, carting home an impressive 43 Emmys, more than any other network at the awards ceremony. Among the other frontrunners was the mini-series Olive Kitteridge,, winning nearly every category it was nominated for, and taking home six shiny trophies.

After seven nominations, Jon Hamm finally won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama for Mad Men,, which wrapped up its seven-season long run in May. The show has had an impressive run, and if you haven’t already checked it out, do so now.

You won’t regret it.

Viola Davis also won Best Lead Actress for her performance in How To Get Away With Murder,, the first black woman to win in this category.

In her acceptance speech, she said: “You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.” Quoting Harriet Tubman, a civil rights activist,

she highlighted how “the only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity.”

Other female successes included Uzo Aduba scooping up Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama for her role in Orange is the New Black, which has also recieved rave reviews.

Veep, a political

comedy following the fictional vicepresident Selina Meyer (Julia LouisDreyfus) was the winner in the Best Comedy Series category. Veep’s creator, Armando Ianucci, was the only Brit nominee to win, as others like Mark Rylance (nominated for Wolf Hall) went home empty-handed.

Meanwhile Transparent, the Amazon Prime show centering on the life of a transgender woman and her family netted a win for director Jill Soloway.

The Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy award went to Jeffrey Tambor. He dedicated his win to the transgender community, concluding “thank you for letting us be part of the change”.

Andy Samberg hosted the show, his first major award-hosting gig, which was met with mixed reviews.

Variety’s Brian Lowry said: “Samberg’s approach just didn’t wear especially well”,

but USA Today reviewer Robert Bianco said: “Samberg did just fine”. Twitter was notably less forgiving, with pundits such as Matt Zoller Seitz stating: “Andy Samberg knows he’s bombing. It’s painful to see”. A full list of the winners and speech clips can be found online.

Primetime Emmy wins by programme Olive Kitteridge: Game of Thrones: Veep: The Daily Show: Transparent: American Crime: How to Get Away With Murder: Inside Amy Schumer: Mad Men: Mom: Orange is the New Black: The Voice:

6 4 4 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Jungle Book trailer is bare wild Sarah Gough, Editor, gives her take on the CGI heavy reimagining of the classic tale

T

HE trailer of the live-action remake of The Jungle Book is out and it’s bare wild. I say that in a literal sense; there is a jungle and a barechested, feral boy. Not to mention the utter disparity this CGI epic appears to have with the 1967 cutesy cartoon original. If you only ever use the phrase ‘bare wild’ once in your life, you can use it to describe this film.

Colossal waterfalls, violent tiger fights and rapid monkey-back rides Due for release in 2016, Disney has managed to assemble an array of superior voice boxes. When Scarlett Johansson played a flirtatious operating system in Her, the world sat up and listened.

Now those same tempting tones will be sure to enrapture many, but mainly Mowgli, as she voices the seductive serpent Kaa. Other stars studding the cast include Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Groundhog Day’s Bill Murray as Baloo and screen veteran Christopher Walken as King Louie. You wouldn’t blame little Neel Sethi, the adorable real-life Mowgli, for wanting to be like them.

If the trailer is anything to go by

(and I guess that’s pretty much the point of it), the special effects look astonishing. This isn’t just a feral boy wandering around a forest, this is no Into The Woods; there are colossal waterfalls, violent tiger fights and rapid monkeyback rides. The calming clarinet undertones of the original soundtrack are no more; the drums are aggressive and Pirates of the Carribbean-esque. Luckily John Debney’s composition and Jon Favreau’s direction is a tried and tested success formula. The Jungle Book will be their fourth collaboration, with previous work including the inimitable Elf and the fairly epic Iron Man 2.

It seems that cartoons are being cast aside as Disney relentlessly drives the live-action bandwagon. 2015’s Cinderella, despite its monotonous vapidity, managed to gross over $500million at box offices worldwide, whilst the sass-packed Mulan is currently in post-production. Meanwhile Warner Bros’ are clinging onto the wagon too: Beauty and the Beast is set for release in 2017 and with Emma Watson as Belle it’s bound to draw in billions of Gryffindorks and Hufflepenises. What’s more, 2017 will also see WB’s very own version of Mowgli and pals. Their film Jungle Book: Origins already has a slightly edgier vibe, thanks largely to the titular

Do we really need two Jungle Books within two years? colon but also because the RSC’s Hamlet will now enact Mowgli’s nemesis.

That’s right Cumberbitches, Benedict

Photo: www.theedgesusu.co.uk

will be the tiger you always knew he was.

How the two compare remains to be seen but I suppose the real question is, do we really need two Jungle Books within two years? Probably not, but hey, we live in a world of relentless capitalistic excess and when there are this many sexy people involved, who could say no?

When Rudyard Kipling wrote the Mowgli stories I doubt he expected to attract the attention of the world’s biggest multinational mass media conglomerates not once, not twice, but THRICE. Well done, Mr Kipling, ooh ooh ooh, I wanna be like you-ooh-ooh.

The Jungle Book will be released in 2016.

Legendary or just Kray?

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NEWS 1-5

SCREEN

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-14 16-17 8-10

MUSIC 18-21

SCREEN 22-24

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32

GAMES 34-36

SPORT 38-40

28 SEPTEMBER 2015 |

EXEPOSÉ

Jack Smith, Online Screen Editor, gives a comprehensive review of new British crime thriller, Legend, starring Tom Hardy and Tom Hardy as the feared British gangsters, the Kray brothers

Legend Cast: Tom Hardy, Emily Browning, Duffy Director: Brian Helgeland 2015, 131 minutes

L

EGEND is a troubled film. Although it is quite enjoyable on the surface, as soon as you delve underneath its flashy exterior, its flaws unravel in a rather prolific fashion. Surface is a key word, since it’s something the film prides itself on, and it allows the film to get away with a lot. However, contrary to expectations of it being a critical success, Legend struggles to form any kind of connection with the viewer apart from on a surface level.

For me, problems arose immediately after I had left the cinema, and was thinking about what the film did well and what it didn’t. I realised that I actually didn’t really like the film as much as I thought I had. This turning point is very important since, as I will go on to criticise the film extensively, you must understand that Legend certainly does give you your money’s worth for two hours of great entertainment. If that is what you’re after, then it shouldn’t disappoint, but if you, like me, want something more from cinema, then you might think twice. Legend is an exciting film, but it struck me as being of no real substance or artistic ingenuity.

It feels unfair that people... with so much money are being so unimaginative Much of the impression that Legend left me with can be traced back to the opening sequence. Sweeping establishing shots show off 60s London in all its glimmering glory, emphasising the impressive production design that went into realising this film. We are also greeted by a very dry narrative voiceover, which continues to irritate

throughout, from Emily Browning’s character Frances who is the focus of a large proportion of the plot. From this point on, it is obvious that we are in for a story told with the usual classical continuity style, an unimaginative formal choice that is echoed in the mediocre narrative.

The moment the camera enters the black limousine that is cruising down this street at night, we are greeted by Hardy’s sneering Kray twins. We are then told by the voiceover that these two characters, the same two who are in the poster, in the trailers and bear a striking resemblance to the Kray twins, are in fact Ronald and Reggie Kray. Who would have guessed? This piece of exceedingly superfluous detail is a recurring problem that plagues the script. Another point at which the writing seems terrifically contrived is when it introduces the motif of lemon sherbets. While perhaps not everyone knows that lemon sherbets are hard on the outside and soft on the inside, when creating a symbolic element for a narrative, you don’t draw attention to it and even explain the symbol itself when you introduce it for the first time. These unnecessary details weaken the film’s integrity and even seem condescending towards the audience’s intelligence.

Although the production design and performances demonstrate glimpses of the quality on which the film could capitalise, it seems that the film rejected these elements as opportunities to create a great piece of cinema with historical, social and political insight, and just took the route of the bland biopic that I’m sure many people are fed up with (perhaps the box office will prove me wrong). There isn’t much wrong with

this formula for entertainment and, moreover, moneymaking. The problem is precisely that there isn’t much wrong with the formula. I felt like I’d seen this film a number of times before and it’s all too easy for filmmakers to create something safe and uninspired. This is very frustrating in many cases, Legend included, and it feels unfair that people working with so much money are being so unimaginative.

Returning to the theme of the opening sequence, the Krays are sheltered from the night in their limo just as the viewers seem to be taken through a luxurious London setting, yet one we pass all too quickly through, pro-

#Quintessential-Quote-Qorner

tected from the harsh and violent reality of the lives of the twins.

I think this is no better demonstrated than early on in one of Legend’s several violent outbursts, where Ron and Reg bring knuckledusters and hammers to a pub brawl over gang turf. I found the sequence unnervingly exhilarating, since it was shot as if the Kray’s were two action heroes fighting off bad guys, when really they were all as bad as each other. Fast-paced, dynamically assembled shots are set to upbeat rock music, but the sounds of Ron delivering skullcrushing blows with his hammers are very low in the mix, making the very brutal violence easier for the audience to stomach.

I have n e v e r b e e n one concerned with violence on screen and in fact really enjoyed the ultraviolent bloodbath of a scene in Kingsman: The Secret Service earlier this year.

However, Legend is not an over-stylised comic-book action movie. It wants to be a gritty biopic that gets you into the heads of its two protagonists, yet it is guilty of not really

‘‘

“I’ll tell you something true, the bare necessities of life will come to you.”

‘‘

“Me and my brother, we’re gonna rule London!”

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‘‘

It felt like it had the potential to be one of the best films of the year Unfortunately, Legend does nothing to undermine the legend of the Kray twins and even seems to go too far the other way in its glamourous mythologising. I believe that presenting the violence more objectively, perhaps like in Gus Van Sant’s Elephant or Matteo Garrone’s Gomorra, would help balance the film’s portrayal of the twins, and demonstrate that the filmmakers acknowledge reality.

Ok, not every film turns out to be as perfect as intended, and as far as pure entertainment goes, Legend is good fun and very watchable. Tom Hardy is an incredibly talented actor and is certainly on form here, as is much of the large supporting cast who all do great jobs, albeit ones that are slightly unfulfilled given that they are undeveloped. Emily Browning is fine, although there isn’t really much she can do with the script, but Hardy really is the star of the show.

The bottom line of Legend is really creating a setting for Hardy to show off.

But, the double performance does make up for the fact that he didn’t really do anything in Mad Max: Fury Road, from earlier this year. Better still, I was not at all disappointed that I saw Legend and I thought that it was a pleasant and entertaining experience, yet it remained frustrating to see something that is satisfied with its own mediocrity, and doesn’t try to be the best it can. It felt like it had the potential to be one of the best films of the year, however I expect I will have forgotten about it in a month or two and that’s a real shame. w

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Test your film knowledge by guessing these qwazy quotes!

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questioning their morality at all. In fact, the two characters who see through the Krays’ façade are Christopher Eccleston’s detective who is presented as bumbling and incompetent, and the mother of Frances, played by Tara Fitzgerald, who just seems crazy and irrational.

3

“Mother Nature is a serial killer. No one’s better. Or more creative.”

Tuesday 28 September:

Tuesday 6 October:

Man Up

Mr Holmes

Sunday 4 October:

Sunday 11 October:

Jurassic World

Slow West

1. BALOO (PHIL HARRIS) - THE JUNGLE BOOK 2. RONALD KRAY (TOM HARDY) - LEGEND 3. ANDREW FASSBACH (ELYES GABEL) - WORLD WAR Z

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MUSIC 18-21

ARTS &LIT Arts Diary Art 11 Sept - 31 Oct Contemporary Open Phoenix

29 Sept - 2 Oct The Talisman Bike Shed Theatre 6-9 Oct Johnny Mathis Killed Our Christmas Bike Shed Theatre 6-10 Oct We Want You To Watch Theatre Royal Plymouth

TREET artist Banksy provides his latest contribution to the world of contemporary art in the form of a shortterm ironic exhibition called ‘Dismaland’, hosted in the Somerset seaside town of Weston-super-Mare. In what he describes as a ‘Bemusement Park’, visitors are free to explore the interactive site. It features sculptures, pictures, fairground rides, and other quirky instalments produced by a myriad of artists. Each work portrays an individual message, generally to the tune of antiestablishment, anti-war or anti-capitalist notions. However, they all contribute to the overall theme of the park: the futility and misery of Western

SPORT 38-40

28 SEPTEMBER 2015 | Exeposé Arts & Lit

ARTS & LIT EDITORS Jeremy Brown Emily Kerr

of fairies. As you can probably guess, the inside of the castle makes no effort to restore the magic. Visitors are ushered around a darkened room containing the crash scene of a pumpkin carriage, illuminated by a paparazzi flash strobe light.

This seems to reference the

At the rear of the park is an outdoor cinema screen which displays a variety of short films. Some broadcast the same messages seen throughout the exhibits and others are alternative comedy. These are hit and miss, with the most memorable being the stark view of

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Dismaland lives up to its name, with an admissions queue longer than the lunchtime line at the Marketplace. Once the wait is over, phony airport security style checks are done, where throughout the phrase ‘no smiling’ is uttered by the purposely miserable and snarky park staff.

Banksy provides an attraction that people don’t admit they want to see

New biography Cameron at 10: The Inside Story causes a stir in the news

Gulf’ course (an oil caliphate themed crazy golf), a ‘pocketmoney loans for kids’ shop (to cover the market Wonga has previously overlooked), a Jimmy Savile themed Punch and Judy show (if the original show isn’t already bad enough), and my personal favourite: ‘The Astronaut’s Caravan’. This is a caravan pivoted on its front and back that rotates to simulate the feeling of a centrifuge, apparently. I had to try it out!

The guests are taken for a ride in a different sense Once inside the caravan it quickly becomes apparent that the guests are taken for a ride in a different sense.

The caravan frame is rotated around a fixed bench merely to create the illusion of motion. I must admit I still get a thrill out of it, but I keep that to myself to avoid embarrassment. Of course since this is Dismaland, the attitude to refunds was a foregone conclusion, so I decide not to bother and instead put it down to experience.

society, which is executed with a satirical flair.

Ironically, Dismaland probably made the tired seaside venue less dismal. Normally, Weston-super-Mare’s most iconic attractions range from an overpriced pier to a Greggs that you can sit down in while you eat. Nevertheless,

On entry, we are told by another joyless employee to visit the castle first ‘or else we’d be waiting all day to get in’. The castle is essentially a derelict version of the signature Cinderella castle from Walt Disney World - already enough to make every school pupil doubt the existence

Arts in the news

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Chris Kelly reviews Banksy’s satirical Weston-super-night-Mare

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29 Sept - 3 Oct Jeeves & Wooster Northcott Theatre

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Taking the Mickey Dismaland Weston-super-Mare 2015

Theatre

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tragic accident that caused the death of Princess Diana. The spectacle could also be likened to the behaviour of those who gawp at motorway incidents as they drive by. Dismaland is a creative car crash - Banksy provides an attraction that people don’t admit they want to see. There are even souvenir photographs on sale at the castle exit; safe to say that this time I am not a taker.

Ventriloquist Paul Zerdin is “speechless” after winning America’s Got Talent

a woman’s face against a white backdrop, showing the aging process in an accelerated time frame. The intention of this film is ambiguous; it may be to highlight our mortality and lack of control over the inevitable or possibly to display how the beauty in what is real is often overlooked. I personally find it intriguing.

Other notable features of the Bemusement Park are a ‘Mini-

Arts showcase featuring Hockney and Shakespeare to travel to China

Although the majority of the exhibits are designed to be controversial in some way, in my opinion a few do overstep the mark and are unnecessarily insensitive. In particular, the remote control boat pond adapted to contain model boats packed with what I can only assume are Syrian refugees. By inserting one pound into the machine visitors can drive a boat around the pond, dodging drowned bodies floating in the water. I feel that, in this case, the exhibit does not raise the profile of this humanitarian crisis by treating it as a game. It should be dealt with in a hardhitting but tasteful way.

That aside, I would definitely recommend a visit to Dismaland. Although it is not exactly a fun-filled day out, it is certainly a worthwhile and eye-opening experience. Moreover, these kinds of exhibitions only happen once in a blue moon. If you’re interested get in quick, because once the public viewings are over the works are likely to be sold off one by one to the millionaires they ridicule – the irony never ends!

Outspoken arts critic Brian Sewell sadly passes away

A slamming success

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Flora Carr, Features Editor, takes a look at The Dead Poets Society’s first Slam of the year Taster Slam Queen’s Café 18 September 2015

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ONFESSION: Yesterday, I had no idea what a Poetry Slam was.

A third year English Lit student with the words “culture vulture” in the bio section of my Instagram page, yet still clueless when it came to slam-dunking sonnets.

Any knowledge I had of this murky world of metaphors was gleaned from 22 Jump Street (“YELLING! Julia ROB- hurts…”) and Katie Makkai’s slam-poem ‘Pretty’ (check her out on YouTube).

I knew slam poetry was poetry delivered onstage, to an audience. I had no idea, however, about Poetry Slams, which are both brilliant and brutal. Forget your ideas of poets running around in fields, clutching a bunch of daffodils. Tonight, the performing poets compete against each other, with poets knocked out at the end of each round based on a show of hands by the audience. And in this case,

the room is packed.

Sat in Queen’s Café, I’m about to watch 11 performers compete in the Dead Poets Society’s slam, chaired by Social Sec, Amani Saeed.

The poets are split into two groups before the first round kicks off. In Group One is Julian Isaacs, Kate Byard, Lydia Vincent, Haroon Khan and Peter Tse. Highlights include Julian, mature English Lit student and veritable BNOC, tossing his flashcards on the floor, and Haroom’s poem (written at 10am that morning) calling us to “rise up against the injustice”.

Following on from Round One is the first performance of guest-slammer Robert Graham, self-proclaimed as “once the second-best poet in Swindon”.

Graham has the audience in hysterics in both of his readings, in particular during his poem about beard envy (“Stroke

it, big boy”). The other guest-poet for the evening is Saba Khan, who delivers a poem about

beauty ideals.

Haroom and Kate are voted the winners of Group One, before it’s time to hear from the performers in Group Two: Robyn Di Giacinto, Farda Ali Khan, Tristan Gatward, Chris Kuuky, Aida Mugabo and Jonathon Fletcher. Highlights include Tristan-who-likes-to-write-

about-lemons’ poem about a waitress, Chris’ poem on racism, and Farda’s honest account of anxiety: “the future looms like a creature in a Predator movie.”

This time, Tristan, Ida and Chris are voted through to Round Two, and the five

remaining poets are given the opportunity to perform their second poem.

Aida impresses everyone with her impromptu poem about her Rwandan,

British and Muslim heritage, as does Kate with her poem about gay marriage. The two are voted through to the final round, where Aida delivers an impromptu poem about her mum. There isn’t a dry eye left in the room. The overall winner is Kate, whose final poem is a blistering tirade against a guy who broke her heart and then wrote a best-selling song about her (I’m itching to ask who he was).

The slam is a huge hit, and a great night for Dead Poets’ Soc, which was only created last year. I’m in awe of all of the poets who had the guts to perform. Anyone who enjoys writing or listening to poetry, keep your eyes peeled for the next event.

It’s bound to be another ‘slamming’ success.

Don’t be a-verse to poetry Laurel Bibby, Online Lifestyle Editor, talks about the place of poetry in modern society

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ANY young people nowadays seem to find poetry incredibly boring, which definitely saddens me as an English student. I suppose I can’t really blame them for having this impression (even I struggled a little trawling my way through Homer’s Odyssey) I think the real reason poetry has such a reputation is often due to the way in which it is presented.

Our generation has grown up in such a fast-paced world, jam-packed full of social media activity. You don’t even need to leave your bed in the morning to check the news, and your friend living halfway across the world is only a couple of button clicks away. With this kind of action constantly surrounding us, the idea of taking time to sit down to read through a thirtyPhoto: www.eminemnet.comco.uk/

page poem doesn’t appeal to many teens who aren’t hardcore English students such as myself.

We live in a fast-paced world, jam-packed full of social media activity What most people don’t realise is that poetry is everywhere and can be found in many different forms. A lot of today’s teens may have outgrown classical poetry, but the great thing about literature is that it is constantly evolving. Modern poetry exists not only in the form of sonnets or epics, but also in music lyrics. Rap songs place the same importance on rhythm

and rhyme as any other poem, but are simply presented in a way that is arguably more relevant to young people today.

My favourite form of modern poetry is that of spoken word, or ‘performance poetry’. Spoken word is poetry written specifically for the purpose of being read aloud, so a lot of emphasis is placed on its delivery and the way the words sound to an audience. Poems conveyed with this much emotion are more engaging and accessible, and automatically make the audience excited. My favourite orator is Sarah Kay, a woman who teaches young people the importance of self-expression through Project VOICE. In 2011, she gave a TED talk and performed her poem ‘B (If I Should Have A Daughter)’, a poem about life lessons and growing up. Kay

uses actions and expression to enthuse her audiences, and her poems are always relatable to young people.

Another great thing about spoken word is the subject matter. Although performance poetry can be about pretty much anything, many poets often choose to address more serious and controversial topics, using poetry as a way to express feelings and let things out that they may not have otherwise felt confident enough to convey. A fantastic example of this is Kevin Kantor’s poem ‘People You May Know’, which bravely addresses the issue of rape.

Writing your own poetry can be incredibly therapeutic – in the same way that keeping a journal can help sort your thoughts, poetry enables people to learn

things that they may not have otherwise realised. Encouraging creativity, introspection and boosting self-confidence, poetry can really take a large role in helping young people discover themselves.

Find Kevin Kantor’s poem ‘People You May Know’ by following the link below:

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So sorry about your wall...

Photo: funeralstories.wordpress.com

28 SEPTEMBER 2015 |

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Fiona Potigny, News Editor, looks at middle class graffiti and subversive superfoods

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HILST Banksy’s been ensuring that all leave suitably disheartened from his dystopian Dismaland this summer, a new trend has taken over both his home turf and the nation, with quinoa at its core. No, this isn’t the next superfood tsunami sweeping the nation.

Not a word about antioxidants, so-called “vitamin powerhouses” or “hidden health benefits” here – not unless it’s affixed to a wall in spray paint, that is.

Enter Middle Class Graffiti, the quinoa-art movement that has brought the coveted grain to Bristol, “pâté” to Cambridge, “rioja” to Sheffield and “pesto” to York.

Dubbed as such because, well, when

one such scrawling addresses that timeold problem: “which supermarket is better?” with a crudely-written “M&S > Waitrose” in a motorway service station, it’s hard to argue otherwise.

Artistic social reactionism à la Banksy But are these satirical scribblings a symptom of the wider gentrification situation, artistic social reactionism à la Banksy or a simple carpe diem-style (that’s middle class “yolo” to you and me) schoolboy scribble for the lols – like drawing a penis in a textbook, but tamer?

ART TO ART

Who knows? Maybe the artists behind these wholesome tags weren’t merely placing a tribal stamp on their communities, but genuinely had viewers’ health in mind? It wouldn’t be the first time that someone has used their can for the powers of good. Take the person who painted a dilapidated post-box with “TIME TO PAINT ME RED AGAIN”, for example, or Manchester’s “Wanksy”, who drew penises around potholes, hoping that the local council would subsequently fill them in.

Yet more sincere scribbles adorn the walls in charming black ink. “KIDS! ASK YOUR PARENTS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE”, one screams from its phone box home, whilst another exclaims: “Ex-

pand Heathrow THE ARTS and the benefits will extend all over Britain”. Perhaps this is the artistic answer to UK politicians getting ‘down with the kidz’ with plentiful rap references? Talk to them in their own mischievious medium, and maybe they’ll finally pay attention?

Whatever their true purpose, these (sub)urban doodles certainly seem to capture the zeitgeist: an era where it’s not weird to hear “kale” and “cool” in the same sentence, where Clean Bandit jingles merrily over an M&S potato being quasi-pornographically disrobed, and where Mary Berry gets more airtime than the entire House of Commons.

Vive la classe moyenne.

_ zanne u s a r @lau

@laur el_bee

Tag your Instagram photos with @exepose_arts_lit for a chance to be featured

Artistic Licence As this has turned into a graffiti-themed issue, we wondered what you would write on the side of the Forum?

LEWIS NORMAN

This week, we’re featuring the work of Emily Harris, a third year English student: “I am constantly inspired by Sabrina Ward Harrison, an American mixed media artist who works primarily in journals. Like her, I prefer small, intimate spaces in art and often look to her work to experiment with different styles of typography and colour pallettes.

Here, I’ve worked in ink, coffee, acrylic, oil pastel, water colour and fine liner. I get bored of mediums very easily and feel a connection to Harrison in that we both work organically and personally.

According to interviews, Harrison finds planning restrictive, and so do I, meaning most things I produce are quick captures of momentary frames of mind rather than careful constructions.”

Waitrose = bae-trose

EVAN JONES

Bad Wolf

HANNAH BUTLER

Moberly House has been re-opened - enemies of the heir, beware.

FIONA POTIGNY

My milkshake brings all the boiz to Duryard

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SCIENCE & TECH

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Investing in the Interstellar

Watch this space: Rebecca Broad argues that all countries should have the right to explore the cosmos

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HE year 2013 saw India launch a rocket to Mars.

It also saw a third of its population living below the poverty line.

Just why is India investing in a space program? What if the 16,000 skilled employees in space development worked on water sanitation? Why do we donate money to space-curious countries with a long way to go for population wellbeing? It’s not just India; Bolivia, Sri Lanka and around 70 other countries have joined the extraterrestrial foray. This is not a new subject of contention. It’s one that arises whenever a country in need of humanitarian aid spends millions on space.

The takeoff of the Mars Orbiter Missions (MOM) – informally known as Mangalyaan (Mars-craft) – went to plan. MOM had a couple of research aims that divides it from other Mars missions; firstly, a methane sensor which could strengthen the argument for microbes living on the red planet, and secondly an analysis of atmospheric gas loss to outer space, which could inform us of Mars’ history.

NASA’s curiosity rover failed to verify methane measurements. MOM wasn’t just an Indian inquisitiveness. It was world leading – unsurprising after it was an Indian Moon mission in 2008 that first detected evidence of water.

Additionally MOM’s cost came in at a comparatively economical £45m. Not bad for a 200 million km journey taking 10 months and a satellite furnished with five different devices, including a colour camera, intended to orbit Mars for six months. MOM is acting as somewhat of a dry run, too – a technology demonstrator with the aim of improving future satellite design. This is longterm thinking.

The chair of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Mr Radhakrishnan, described the programme’s expenditure as “meagre”. He, as many others do, separates space exploration from humanitarian issues but is well versed in answering queries as to why India has a space programme: “The answer then, now and in the future will be: It is for finding solutions to the problems of man and society.”

It was an Indian Moon mission in 2008 that first detected evidence of water He went on to talk of the space race not as a global competition, but as a “need to excel” within India itself.

More than half of all missions to Mars have failed. MOM did not join those ranks. Instead, India’s first interplanetary mission also became the world’s cheapest, and the world’s first to reach Martian orbit on its first attempt.

MOM arrived with double the fuel required for its six month mission, which it completed on 24 March 2015. ISRO promptly extended the mission by six more months as all of its instruments continued to function and the craft has more than enough fuel, even following its orbit change to avoid a comet flyby.

It came as no surprise when MOM won the National Space Society’s Space Pioneer Award this year, and was praised for its colour imagery of a high quality of which few existed before. Just last month it captured a spectacular 3D

image of Ophir Chasma, part of the solar system’s largest canyons.

Despite all this, MOM and ISRO continues to face criticism, branded by Indian news outlet Rediff as “a waste of time and energy”, as lacking in the “true human spirit of space organisation” by content strategists, and a waste of funds by the former ISRO chairman Madhaven Nair. The positive response seems to have been bigger. Oxfam has been in India for over 60 years fighting poverty socially, environmentally and economically.

Its chief executive Nisha Agrawal described India as “not really one country but two in one”, citing its emerging status as a middle-income country (an economy worth about $2 trillion) to explain why ISRO exists alongside population inequality. The website firstpost published an article titled “Mangalyaan: Why Western criticism to our Mars mission is blatant racism” which hits hard at Western analysis.

Balaji Viswanathan succinctly writes, “Don’t heap your blame on poor ISRO for India’s social conditions” and refers to past colonisation as a factor in that.

India’s space program uses under 1 per cent of the country’s GDP India’s space program uses under 1 per cent of the country’s GDP and gains have been seen not only with MOM, but with everyday functions.

Take, for example, the satellites with a whole host of uses in Earth’s orbit. Increased communications h a v e helped build t h e Indian service economy immeasurably. Agricultural information enables farmers to maximise their crop efficiency. Military infrastructure means India can stand up to China’s

ever-growing challenges and undertake terrorist observations. Most cited is meteorological data from weather satellites that inform early warning systems: Cyclone Phailin killed over 10,000 people in the Phillipines, which lack satellites. India relied upon ISRO’s data and had casualties in the single digits.

India wants – and needs – these services, and if it didn’t provide them itself it would quite possibly spend billions of dollars renting from other country’s satellites. If more economical evidence was required, the launcher which sent the Indian vehicle on its way to Mars has a very high success rate and is attracting investm e n t f r o m o t h e r countries such as Japan and France.

However, when we question people’s choices, we question their autonomy.

The government has chosen to spend money on a highly prosperous space program. We have no right to tell them what to do with their money just because they are less well off than us.

If it’s our money that we’re donating, then we can choose what it’s used for. If you want to see better sanitation, give to a community project which focuses on toilet and drinking facilities. Charities and NGOs with a bottom-up approach are your best bet for that. If you don’t want a donation to get lost in a web of government bureaucracy, don’t put it there.

India’s space program, if divided up amongst the population, would cost well under a dollar per person per year. For anyone in the world, seeing something

built in their country blasting into space might be the perfect dose of inspiration.

Space is one of those strange concepts that grabs the human imagination; our inquisitiveness is potentially what’s

made our species so successful.

Not content with our own world, we want to know about everything. No matter where you are on a poverty scale you need thoughts to get through the day, ideas to become curious about and hopes to work towards for the future. As the director of ISRO’s satellite centre said: “National pride is important”. How can you disagree with that?

Black holes and revelations EXEPOSÉ

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Akash Beri, Screen Editor, discusses the greatest mystery in time and space

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HAT happens when you fall into a black hole? It’s a question I am sure we’ve all pondered at some point.

Would you be instantly killed by intense heat? Would you collide with a giant star or meteor? Would you discover an alternate reality where the Lemmy is the best club in Exeter? Would you be confronted

by Lionel Ritchie, who tells you you’re his angel? In fact, no one really knows what would happen, but we can theorise.

A black hole is the name ascribed to a geometrically defined region of spacetime,

where gravity is so strong that nothing (including particles and electromagnetic radiation) can escape. It can be the result of a massive star that has collapsed under its own weight, retreating to a single immeasurably dense point: the singularity. The outermost boundary is the event horizon, and if we penetrate past this, it becomes impossible to escape the gravitational field.

You’d eventually be stretched out like spaghetti until a string of atoms remained So, let’s imagine you’re falling toward the event horizon, and I’m floating above it watching. As you get closer, your body appears to stretch and contort (as if I’m viewing you through a magnifying glass), and you move in slow motion. I try to signal to you with light from

my iPhone, but it becomes distorted and redder as the light waves are stretched.

Once you reach the horizon, you would freeze in place, as the stopping of time and the fires of Hawking radiation eventually reduced you to ash. According to my perspective, you didn’t make it very far and probably died a pretty tragic death.

However, from your perspective, something baffling happens. Nothing. You keep falling, blissfully unaware you’ve passed beyond the point of no return. If it were a smaller black hole, the force of gravity would be stronger at your feet than your head, and you’d eventually be stretched out like spaghetti until a string of atoms remained. But let’s say it is a massive black hole, millions of times bigger than the Sun. If it were big enough, you’d live out the rest of your life normally until you reached the singularity.

So, here’s the kicker. How can I see you perish, even if you keep falling? How can you be dead, and alive? Quantum physics demands that information (i.e. your atoms) can never be lost, which means it must remain outside the event horizon, or it breaks the laws of physics. Simultaneously, the laws demand that you sail through the horizon, or you would violate Einstein’s theory of general relativity. You have to be in two places, but there can only be one copy of you.

Physicists refer to this perplexing problem as the ‘black hole information paradox’.

You keep falling, blissfully unaware you’ve passed beyond the point of no return Theoretical physicist Leonard Susskind attempted to resolve the issue in the 1990s, stating that there is no paradox because no one sees your clone. You only see one copy of you. You and I would never compare notes, and there is no third observer who can see both inside and outside the black hole at the same time. So, no laws of physics are broken, right? You fall freely, I see you die, everyone goes home happy.

Well, yes, until you demand to know which story is true? Are you really dead or are you really alive? And just like that, we’re right back to where we started.

What happens when you fall inside a black hole? Unfortunately, it depends on who you ask, which means no one knows the true answer. That is why it’s become one of the most antagonistic questions in fundamental physics, and why it’s also such a fun concept to talk about.

SCIENCE & TECH

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Space Week 2015 Since its birth in 1999, The World Space Week has grown into the largest public space event on Earth with more than 80 countries taking part in celebrations. Held on 4-10 October every year, there is a differing focus ranging from space in daily life to the ‘mysteries of the Cosmos’. This year, the theme is simply ‘Discovery’, an ode to the exciting era of space exploration that we are in. We have had space telescopes, deep space probes, and several interplanetary satellites and landers that have introduced us to the tantalizing opportunities of new worlds.

Space is all about discovery, and Space Week is here to capture that idea.

There are 240 registered events.

Unfortunately, you won’t catch anything in Exeter, but events are registered in Plymouth, London and Winchester, to name a few.

In the absence of any such event being held in Exeter, we have chosen to dedicate this issue to the wonders of interstellar discovery.

A potted history of Pluto

Kathryn Edgerton leads us on a journey through Pluto’s troubled past from early photographs to planetary probing

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EMEMBER the mnemonic: My Very Easy Method Just Sums Up Naming ...well, naming what?

Pluto was officially demoted to the utterly humiliating status of a dwarf planet in 2006. Back before we utterly shattered its dreams of stardom (planetdom?), what was the history of our favourite dwarf planet?

Little Pluto first burst into our consciousness in 1930 but this was a long overdue discovery. Pluto was accidentally photographed by the Yerkes Observatory in 1909.

Later, a determined astronomer Percival Lowell, who had actually set off to discover a potential 9th planet in 1906, unknowingly captured two pictures of Pluto on 1915 but died a year later.

21 years and 16 pre-disoveries later, Pluto was officially discovered at the Lowell Observatory (how ironic) by Clyde Tombaugh. Tombaugh had restarted the search for Pluto in 1929 and 13 March 1930, he struck gold.

The discovery was thanks to the blink comparator. This machine allowed a viewer to switch between

two images of the night sky very quickly and repeatedly, so that any shifting objects created an illusion of movement before their eyes.

Pluto was accidentally photographed by the Yerkes Observatory in 1909 Now that they had finally discovered a ninth planet, they had the right to name it. But with naming planets comes responsibility, so what did they do?

They took someone else’s suggestion.

An 11-year old schoolgirl named Venetia Burney suggested the name Pluto to her Grandfather. Venetia suggested that the name for the god of the underworld might suit such a cold, dark planet.

As a nice touch, it also started with the initials of the first astronomer to search for Pluto (Percival Lowell). Grandpa, a former librarian of the Bodleian library in Oxford (*connections*), then passed the name long to the right people and boom - Pluto was our ninth planet.

But not for long… Come 2006 and the discovery of the Kuiper Belt. This was a major discovery in modern astronomy opening our eyes to the existance of a third zone of the solar sys-

tem. The Kuiper Belt is a “vast realm of ice worlds” beyond Neptune. It contains many icy masses as well as comets and asteroids (and is currently being explored by the New Horizons probe).

This was good news for astronomy, but bad news for Pluto. As the little guy hadn’t cleared its neighbouring region of other objects, it can no longer be defined as a full-sized planet.

You fooled us for a little while, Pluto, and for that we’ll always remember you.

Photo: BBC

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SCIENCE & TECH

Biweekly Breakthroughs Exeposé Science and Tech give you the rundown of everything weird and wonderful in Science and Tech this week.

GM Ganja Scientists have successfully genetically modified yeast to produce THC, the active chemical in marijuana. The researchers joke about using the yeast to brew THC-infused beer but the main benefit of this research is its potenital to be used in a lab to study the effects of cannibis in relation to treatment of nausea, loss of appetite and some side effects of cancer chemotherapy without actually having to grow it.

Seismic Statistics The earthquake that caused chaos across Chile on September 16 provided essential testing for new mathematical estimates of tsunami predictions. Just seconds after earthquake data was received, seismologists were able to correctly determine the height of the resulting tsunami.

Moreover, the model was able to show where the greatest damage was likely to be five minutes after the wave hit.

Bants with Barbie The next generation of Barbie toys will have artifical intelligence that allows it to use up to 8000 lines of dialogue. The new Barbie will also have a button on its buckle which will allow users to have a conversation with their toy. The result will be the closest to genuine communication with toys that we have have ever come to know.

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Harry Shepherd, Online Editor tells you why you should put together your own PC

F

OR many of us, building your own computer sounds about as daunting as climbing cardiac hill. With jelly legs. And a hangover. But, in reality, putting together your own computer has never been as easy before as it is today.

In fact, it really is the only option for your next Facebook machine: building your own is not only the greatest value option, but it also can be the cheapest way for you to write essays, scroll through Twitter and play that video where the cat meows the Game of Thrones theme tune, for at least the next few years.

A very basic build can be constructed for around £250 without a monitor Despite our constant struggle for funds as students, many of us can hardly tear our eyes away from that shiny new MacBook Air or upcoming iPad Pro. Apple’s clever marketing will persuade you that both computers are perfect for students, but their £750 - £1,600 price

tags clearly aren’t. The perfect computer for your needs can only be one that you choose yourself down to the very last part; if you take the time out to decide what your needs and requirements are you can choose the ideal components to match.

If we were to look at the most common student needs, then a very basic build can be constructed for around £250 without a monitor. If that isn’t a student friendly price for a computer, I don’t know what is! Even if you are closer to a power user in your requirements — you might be a PC gamer or looking to experiment with video editing — you can still build a computer for around the same price as a relatively cheap Apple unit (although your needs will be getting more specific).

You might not end up with a desktop as sleek or as thin as an iMac, but you’ve still

too. Unlike many Apple computers that solder all the unit’s innards together and void your warranty if you tamper with it, you can constantly replace your self-built system’s components when they get a little tired or outdated. After you have the experience of putting your first computer together, playing around and updating it will be far easier than consoling your devastated wallet after your latest trip to the Apple store.

So your hard-earned cash isn’t the problem here: the biggest investment you’ll need to put in is time - you’ll be needing lots of it. If you’re a total beginner,

saved yourself at least £600, which could be especially valuable when you’re trying to drag yourself out of the mire of your overdraft.

Building your own is even cheaper when you look at your PC situation in the long-run: custom-built computers are the most upgradable option

you’ll need to research all the individual parts that a PC requires, how each work, then figure out which particular products you’ll be buying from the hundreds available. Don’t feel too intimidated: there are endless articles and video tutorials online that take you through the roles of each component in your computer, the best products for your needs and how to lump everything together.

Unfortunately, laptops are much harder to construct than PCs, so you might have to stick to your trusty paper and pen for lectures and seminars, or look into your typical pre-built computer if you’re dead-set on something portable. But, overall, there are so many advantages to building your own that outweigh the initial struggle and time investment. Financially, you’ll see the benefits immediately and in the long term, but, most importantly, you’ll be able to create the computer that exactly matches your needs, and not those that Tim Cook says you have.

A window into the world of the Mac

Dave Hardy discusses the pros and cons of getting a Mac - will you succumb to the apple empire?

I

‘M sure most will remember Apple’s “Get a Mac” advertising campaign back from 2006. It played upon most of the stereotypical conceptions of Windows and Mac OS, characterising a PC as a polite, formal, yet somewhat slow man and “Mac” as a more stylish, speedy and down-to-earth character. In recent years the stereotypes revolving around the two operating systems have been eroded.

Aside from bestowing the owner with instant hipster status, macs have a few more practical advantages...

In case you aren’t one of the 99 per cent of Exeter students to possess a Mac, Apple offers two product lines in its MacBook range, the MacBook Air, and the MacBook Pro. With the Air range focusing on ultra-portability, and the Pro aiming to deliver a powerful experience, neither size nor build quality is compromised.

Each range has its own offering of customisability that is available directly

on Apple’s website, or at any Apple store.

Aside from bestowing the owner with instant hipster status, Macs have a few more practical advantages over the PC: 1) Build quality - every Mac model is made from an Aluminium Unibody which provides strength while maintaining a relatively low weight. Perfect for the lug up forum hill.

1) Compatibility - Macs are not easily compatible with all devices, such as some external hard drives, android phones, and bespoke equipment. There’s a good chance you’ll be buying an iPhone to go with it.

2) Modification - Macs are not as readily upgradeable as PCs, and most Macs these days have all parts soldered directly

onto the motherboard, rendering user upgrading impossible.

3) High price - You pay for the Apple label.

With Apple’s clear product range it is easy to just “Get a Mac”. But please don’t forget Windows, okay?

2 ) Reliability - Malware is less common for Mac OS than Windows, and as such it is less of a requirement to subscribe to any expensive antivirus services.

3) Intelligent interactions - Apples trackpad gesture controls available are in a league of their own, providing a fast, intuitive and easy to use experience. So much so that using a Mac becomes a natural movement. Once you’ve had a Mac, it’s very difficult to go back.

4) Student discount - takes the edge off of the high Apple price tag.

However, as beautiful as they are next to your vanilla, venti, soy, no-foam latte from your local Starbucks, there are some drawbacks to the Mac:

Photo: www.etsystatic.com

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GAMES EDITORS Jack England Evan Jones

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Pho

What’s NX-t for Nintendo?

Sam Woolf gives us the details on Nintendo’s newest president and the company’s future

W

ITH ever-dwindling third-party support and the feeble offering of another Mario Tennis game and that Animal Crossing-Amiibo title, which came from this year’s seriously overhyped digital event at E3, it’s safe to say that it’s not exactly been the best year for Nintendo. In particular, the passing of company president and gaming legend, Satoru Iwata, was seen to hit the ‘Big N’ hard, and people have been speculating that it may well be time for Nintendo to throw in the towel.

No, far from it. In fact, following the news that Tatsumi Kimishima, former President of Nintendo of America (20022006), is going to be the next Chief Executive Officer of Nintendo, the company’s

future is looking brighter than ever. Kimishima, who was quoted as “watching and learning from Mr. Iwata for some time” prior to his untimely death, is set to implement the carefully planned steps put in place by his predecessor in the run up to the launch of Project NX, Nintendo’s next console.

For those Nintendo fans out there hoping that industry pioneer, Shigeru Miyamoto, would take up the mantle, I’d point out that Nintendo is ultimately a business. Yes, a maker of video games, but a business first and foremost. A business with an estimated value of £14.25 billion and some of the most recognisable intellectual properties in the history of popular culture. Mr. Miyamoto may

know a thing or two about game design, but a businessman he is not. Kimishima though, who’s previously worked as Chief Financial Officer of the Pokémon Company (2000-2001), certainly has sufficient experience to lead Nintendo through the transitional period in which it finds itself.

Under Kimishima, the launch of Project NX, which we hope to hear a lot more about in 2016, appears to be extremely promising. In hindsight, the bewildering choices made by Nintendo with regards to the launch of the Wii U are obvious.

But not many people in 2012 could have predicted that it would have only just sold 10 million units after having been on the market for 32 months. For comparison’s sake, the PS4 managed to reach that fig-

ure in just nine months.

Under Kimishima; the launch of the NX platform appears to be extremely promising Tatsumi Kimishima was among the few that predicted less than stellar sales, over fears that the console was too similar to the original Wii. The fact then, that Kimishima has not yet had any such doubts over the NX, is reassuring to say the least. There’s also hope of a wideranging launch line-up with rumours of Dragon Quest XI and the recently an-

nounced Pikmin 4 being launch titles for the system.

The new president will also be steering Nintendo into several new and exciting industries. Through its partnership with DeNA, the company will be bringing its games to mobile devices later this year, and due to a deal with Universal, Nintendo will be bringing its franchises to Universal theme parks sometime over the next few years.

So although things may seem bleak right now for Nintendo, there’s a light at the end of the warp-pipe and Mr. Kimishima is a safe choice as Iwata’s successor to lead the way. Good luck to him and good luck Nintendo in the upcoming future.

Deus Ex: Content Divided

Evan Jones, Games Editor, explains how pre-order culture has hit an all time low

D

EUS Ex is a name revered by veterans of the gaming industry. A role-playing game set in a dystopian future that also fused first-person shooter and stealth mechanics with a huge focus on player choice, meaning any objective could be completed in seemingly endless ways. Released in 2000, it was envisaged as the most realistic simulation of a ‘real life’ world ever created in order to maximise player immersion. You could use every object, engage with every character and make every choice imaginable. Critically acclaimed upon its release in 2000, it’s now regarded as one of the greatest and most innovative video games ever made.

The franchise saw a return in 2011 with a prequel game called Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which was also well received, and now the latest instalment in the series, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided,

is set to continue its story in early 2016.

However, the announcement of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided has recently been followed up with an “augment your Pre-Order” promotion. A promotion that claims to enhance your experience has seen the game’s content divided instead.

A promotion that claims to enhance your experience has seen the game’s content divided instead Here’s how that promotion works.

Square Enix, the publishers of the game, have a pre-order target. We don’t know what it is - that number is a complete mystery! They want you to register a preorder of the game online so you can get

additional ‘perks’. As the number of people who pre-order the game increases, provided it’s 25 per cent, 50 per cent or 75 per cent of that mystery target number, so do the number of ‘perks’ you get. You start by choosing one of three ‘content packs’, then a digital art book or soundtrack sample, and so forth, until finally we reach 100 per cent of that mysterious pre-order target, which we still don’t know, where customers will get the game four days before its official release.

Watching the promotional trailer, it all looks amazing, until you actually engage a few brain cells for half a nanosecond. Those who don’t pre-order the game are punished by a lack of content that should be in the final game, whilst those who do pre-order are rewarded by NOT getting everything made for the game they are putting good money towards. Want

the ‘Intruder Pack’ and ‘Enforcer Pack’?

Tough, you can only get one. There’s also no mention as to whether this content will be available by other method other than pre-ordering it. It’s all a bit shady on Sqaure Enix’s part.

So here’s the bottom line.

Pre-ordering is anti-consumer. It’s a practice that potentially insults the customer’s trust whilst definitely benefitting the publisher.

Those men in suits running the business side of video games only want to brag about how big their first week sales number

is.

The idea has become more absurd in recent years now that video game publishers tack on pre-order ‘bonuses’, like character skins or an extra in-game mission, knowing consumers will fall for it, that they won’t want to settle for anything less than the most complete product available. Sadly, the trend shows no sign of stopping, not yet anyway. Maybe one day we might have to pre-order a skin pack in order to get a free game!

I hope gamers now see how ludicrous this “augment your Pre-Order” promotion is and hope that they won’t fall for this one, that it backfires spectacularly in the face of Square Enix. Then maybe game publishers might augment their marketing tactics and we never see anything like this again.

Metal Gear is looking Solid EXEPOSÉ

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35

Harry Shepherd, Online Editor, gives us his verdict on Kojima’s last Metal Gear Solid Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Kojima Productions PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox One & Xbox 360 Out now

I

‘VE chosen late evening for my helicopter to drop me in the hills of North Kabul, Afghanistan, and to the south of the base I’m looking to scope out with my binoculars. I struggle to pick out my enemies, but they’ll have trouble spotting me in the darkness too. I’ve knocked the guards in their watchtowers unconscious, but, another of their number have spotted their comrades’ bodies unceremoniously plonked into a portable toilet, and now everybody is on high alert.

My target is a Russian Spetsnaz General who’d been committing atrocities against the local population with his scorched earth tactics, but I was struggling to find my way in to his hideout as his

defensive force were on the lookout for their unknown assailant. Luckily, my patience as I waited in the tall, rough desert grasses had paid off: a sandstorm was sweeping in. Risking running straight into an enemy, I somehow managed to infiltrate the base with my surprised target, along with a cassette tape of Kim Wilde’s ‘Kids in America’, now in my possession. But, my enemies have discovered me now the storm has subsided, and I can only make a beeline for my horse with my 1980s pop blaring into the night as my extraction team await mine and my prisoner’s arrival.

And that’s precisely what makes Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’s open world so special. This moment could’ve played out in hundreds of

just learned would be driving into the very heart of the base. Kojima Productions have completely revolutionised their already venerable series, and it’s ab-

Russians couldn’t call for reinforcements in a later mission once I’d been discovered.

Gone are the days where you must sit

different ways. I could’ve chosen to initiate my assault in broad daylight, guns blazing.

solutely for the best.

It’s up to you how you rebuild your forces after the tragic rollercoaster of a conclusion in Ground Zeroes. Main missions are presented in an episodic form alongside freeform side operations that are all based within a series of gargantuan environments, a n d you can even choose the order in which you complete them. Your stealthy hijinks then interlink with each other, showcasing an astonishing level of detail. For instance, I accidentally chose a mission that involved destroying enemy

through 45 minute cutscenes. Now you choose the direction the story takes and tell it though your gameplay choices. The rich alternate reality Hideo Kojima and co is far from absent though, extensive backstory can still be found via numerous cassette tapes and in-world collectibles.

communications, only to be relieved to find out t h a t t h e

management sim.

In the wider world you identify and procure raw materials and skilled soldiers to improve your team, constantly upgrading your gear and weaponry to even further broaden your options in the field. All the menus and features in the game can be a little daunting and overwhelming at first, but new toys are drip fed to you nicely so you can get to grips with things at a steady pace.

And, on top of all this, the game is astoundingly beautiful. Exceptional draw distances decorate a horizon that appears to continue forever. The game looks just as good in the depths of night as it does in the sunny rays of midday and its the perfect place to immerse yourself in the deep, atmospheric gameplay.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a supreme sandbox that will be remembered for decades to come. The depth of its gameplay and the level of detail that has been squeezed into this game will constantly amaze you as you plough through the 100+ hours required for you to see everything this wonderful game has to offer.

You choose the direction the story takes and tell it through your gameplay choices Maybe I could’ve searched out intel from neighbouring villages, taking a truck driver captive that I had

It’s not just the storytelling that’s been revamped either: the gameplay is life-consumingly deep It’s not just the storytelling that’s been revamped either: the gameplay and its myriad mechanics are life-consumingly deep. Take Mother Base for example; your base of operations is essentially a game within a game allowing you to get involved in what is essentially a micro-

36

GAMES

The Orange Box Which video game item would you use in order to make your university life so much simpler?

LEWIS NORMAN I’d red shell my lecturer so I beat him to meetings.

THEODORE STONE The Apple of Eden.

Because when your lecturer is impossible to impress, mind control is the only option.

JOSHUA ROCHELLE The Engineer’s toolbox from Team Fortress 2!

Instant engineering degree.

SAM WOOLF Running shoes from Pokemon. Being able to run forever and not get tired would be great for cardiac hill.

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Is life in plastic truly fantastic?

Victoria Bos gives her opinion on the rise of plastic peripherals in games

D

O you remember the days when you could buy a game and it would have all of the content installed and ready to go with no extra costs? Good times. These days, however, it’s beginning to feel like when you buy a game you are simply buying a base game, the foundations of something bigger. Then you’re expected to continue paying out for additional content, to build upon those foundations, so that you have a worthwhile game to play. An increasingly popular way of doing this among video game developers today seems to be encouraging consumers to purchase extra bits of plastic shaped like figurines.

Leading examples of this include Disney Infinity, Skylanders and Nintendo’s Amiibo,, all of which require figurines to unlock new characters, areas and challenges within their

respective games. Each figurine usually costs about £10-12 and come out in waves of three or four at a time, with the precedent being set for new figurines being released around three times a year.

Video game developers are encouraging consumers to purchase plastic figurines So the question has to be asked, is it worth it? For a game that initially costs between £30-40, it seems extortionate to pay three or four times that amount every year just to keep up with all the new content which, let’s be honest, you’d prob-

game in the first place.

You’ll also notice these are games that are predominantly aimed at children.

What child doesn’t love Disney characters? Or dragons? Or Pokémon? These little figurines are essentially toys in their own right, though with a much higher price tag. This leads to the question of ethics. Bringing out pretty little toys in order to make a game work is just going to make children badger their parents for the newest figurines every few months, something which I’m sure many parents had hoped to avoid by buying the original game in the first case.

You may also notice that at the average price of £10 - £12, these figurines sit firmly in the ‘pocket money’ market, making them affordable for children and en-

buy the whole set. One could argue this technique is used on both children and adults every day, but it is unlikely that children will think of this when they’re desperately trying to add Elsa or Woody to their figurine collection.

Of course, there’s the argument that these figurines allow game developers to build upon and improve the game. After all, if you want to extend a video game’s shelf life, you need to keep it fresh. But there are multiple titles based solely around the principle of buying these figurines and it seems to be purely a way of ripping off the consumer. So I have a request for all game developers - stop trying to take us for every penny we have!

We have plenty of other games out there to play and, in all honesty, the children

their imagination instead.

Taking the bored out of board games

Fiona Potigny, News Editor, talks about video games without the video

I The Old One

MUSIC 18-21

AM not a ‘gamer’. Computer games have just never really been my thang.

There, I said it.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not a total console cynic. It’s simply that I’m the one that falls off the rainbow road faster than you can say “It’s-a me, Mario”, the one who was confused that Michael Owen and David Beckham aren’t options on the latest Duty parent unspeakable encounters with over a dozen men within the first ten minutes of play.

or simply because they’re ‘lame’ were all among the reasons cited for ditching me on my Mahjong mission. But now with the dawn of the alternative – thank you, hipsters – gracing every Camden-esque

internet? Drop those sticks all you want, but your Kerplunk won’t be compromised, whilst a few scratches on Sonic will leave the game jumpier than a hyperactive kangaroo – Skippy’s the name, and

more than that. You stole my last slice of Maryland cheddar so I screwed you on Mayfair. Checkmate. So effective at extinguishing grudges, it’s hard to imagine that even the most ardent socialist wouldn’t

a bit of an impostor here in the Games section. And I would be inclined to agree.

That is, unless my childhood counts, or maybe the few rounds of Space Invader I played at the local arcade in the late nineties? No, I thought not. digital ‘pwning’ or don’t know my square from my triangle, that doesn’t mean I’m not game for gaming. I would just rather swap the digital for the analogue – give me I’m yours. games was never all that well received the setting up, the die-rolling drudgery,

need to give you suggestions. Students already know how to put the gin and rum

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BREAK

STUDY CROSSWORD # 77

SUDOKU # 13

Across 1 Economic traveller (7)

The Career Zone is here to help you find part-time work, sort your CV, ace your interviews, land your dream job, or perfect your postgraduate applications.

5 Assist - cleaner (4) 9 Country ruled by President Assad (5) 10 Even-tempered (person) (7) 11 Fib (3) 12 Crete tea (anagram) - and the rest (2,6) 14 The new leader of the 16 Party (surname) by corn (anagram) (6) 16 Work - job (6)

To read more about a role and download an application form, search for the internship’s reference code on My Career Zone.

19 Low spirits - sold drum (anagram) (8) 21 Orc (anagram) - massive bird of legend (3) 23 Near (5,2) 24 Asian country, capital Kathmandu (5) 25 Danger (4) 26 Translate into code (7)

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Down 1 Lose (something) (8) 2 Deep ravine (5)

17 Poisonous element - in scare (anagram) (7)

3 (Private) secondary school (7)

SCP 3285 PGT Careers Ambassador and Support Assistant (Streatham Campus) Closing Date: 4 October Salary: £9.34 per hour Hours: Up to 15 per week (one or two days)

18 Continent (with no 21 Down to 5ing 1s and 9’s refugee

4 Long ditch (6)

crisis?) (6)

6 Trade ban - bag more (anagram) (7)

20 Action (4)

7 Humble appeal (4) 8 Leave (as some in the 16 Party might after 14’s win?)

(4)

21 Response (to a letter) (5) 22 Wound mark (4)

13 Wrist jewellery (8)

ANSWERS: Down: 1 Misplace, 2 Gorge, 3 Academy, 4 Trench, 6 Embargo, 7 Plea, 8 Quit, 13 Bracelet, 15 Riotous, 17 Arsenic, 18 Europe, 20 Deed, 21 Reply, 22 Scar.

WEATHER

Across: 1 Migrant, 5 Help, 9 Syria, 10 Equable, 11 Lie, 12 Et cetera, 14 Corbyn, 16 Labour, 19 Doldrums, 21 Roc, 23 Close to, 24 Nepal, 25 Risk, 26 Encrypt.

Mon 4th

High Low

17°C

10°C

Internship Vacancies:

15 Lawless - or is out (anagram) (7)

Tues 5th

18°C

9 °C

Wed 6th

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10 °C

Thur 7th

17°C

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Fri 8th

17°C

10 °C

Sat 9th

16°C

10 °C

Sun 10th

16°C

9 °C

‘‘

PUZZLES BY ALFRED

WORDS OF WISDOM...

Smoking kills. If you’re killed, you’ve lost a very important part of your life.

Brooke Shields

SCP 3272 Employability Assistant (Penryn Campus) Closing Date: 4 October Salary: £8.82 per hour Hours: Up to 10 per week SBP 3281 Digital Marketer Closing Date: 1 October Salary: £9.00 per hour Hours: 5-10 per week SBP 3286 Front End Developer Closing Date: 25 October Salary: £10.00 per hour Hours: Part-time OR summer placement Careers Fair:

Cartoon by Emily McIndoe

Looking for a part time job whilst studying? Don’t miss the Casual Jobs and Internships Fair on Tuesday 6 October! Drop in and meet employers in the Forum, Streatham Campus, between 11am and 2pm.

AU stars of the future

38

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Emmott Leigh, Sport Editor, looks at the new prospects for Cricket, Tennis, Boxing and Ladies’ Lacrosse

>> From left to right: Hassan Morad in action for EUTC, Ellie Kermode cheers another EULC win, Former EUABC Captain Richie Goulding celebrates winning Boxing Varsity 2014. Photos: Edwin Yeung and Natasa Christofidou.

E

XETER have recently achieved the distinction of becoming The Times’ and The Sunday Times’ Sporting University of the Year, and the reasoning behind the choice is clear from looking at several of our best clubs.

Boxing EUABC saw a dramatic rise to stardom last year after the Athletic Union gave them three prestigious club awards: Ike Ogbo won Sportsman of the Year and the club won the Most Developed Club and Team of the Year awards. A small club only a few years ago, EUABC is now standing amongst the AU team giants.

2015/16 will hopefully see continued presence and success in local championships and BUCS, while plans for another Varsity at the Lemon Grove are already under way. Last year’s success inspired the club’s biggest ever first day enlistment rate at the Freshers’ Fair.

The club retains its competitive fighting prospects with a squad of experienced boxers, and new faces to the squad will be looking to take their skills up to the next level.

EUABC are hoping to raise the bar even higher this year. Continuing on with their partnership with the local MKO boxing club, new and returning members will be exposed to professional training and high quality skill tuition. The level of interest shown across

campus in the club is monumental, and sign-up rates are set to increase. It’s an exciting time for the club, led by Olufemi Fagbemi.

The club accommodates all skill ranges and goals. EUABC has been praised for its openness, with a huge influx of female members, and an appreciation for individual difference and diversity.

A small club only a few years ago, EUABC is now standing amongst the AU team giants Ladies’ Lacrosse EULC had an amazing summer in international representation. Ailie Groom (Scotland) and Mimi Ruiz (England) played at the U19 World Championship.

Scotland came eighth and England beat Australia to finish third. Ruiz was also selected for the U19 World team, meaning that she is the best U19 goalie globally.

At the ELF Women’s Lacrosse European Championship, Katie Butcher, Lottie Van Praag and Sophie Coombes-Roberts played for Wales and Hen Watson played for Scotland.

All the EULC players in the tournament came home with a medal.

There are also several top new arrivals. Annie Butcher told us “I’ve played in the World Cup in 2011 for Wales U19 as the youngest player at 15, been Captain of county and the Godolphin School Lacrosse first team, been in regional 1s and played in home internationals for Wales. I’m really excited to play lacrosse at Exeter, especially as they did so well in the BUCS leagues last year!”

Another new recruit, Alice Cranwell, has played lacrosse since she was 11-years-old. Captaining the school team in 2014 to win the National Schools Championships, Cranwell went on to play for England for three years and had England Tours of Toronto, Canada and Washington in the USA. She played in the 2015 FIL U19 World Championships for England where the team managed to win a bronze medal.

Cranwell said: “I am definitely very excited to come to Exeter, to play with a new team and get to know my teammates!”

Claire Brennan and Katie Butcher, first team Captains, stated: “We are really excited to have so many international players on our team this year and can’t wait to progress through the season.”

Cricket Last year, EUMCC won the BUCS na-

tional indoor competition and finished second in the BUCS Championship.

This achievement was made more impressive by the fact that they were one of only two universities that did not have MCCU status in that division. The 1s had another hugely successful indoor campaign, winning the South finals.

In the summer, they thrashed Bristol by eight wickets in the Varsity fixture. A strong 2s side walked Western 1A.

Lacrosse’s Ruiz is the best U19 goalie in the world The season was especially notable for the rise of star batsman Tom Abell. The 2013/14 Sportsman of the Year scored runs for the uni at the start of the season, then went on to become a mainstay of the Somerset top order.

One EUMCC player to watch is new captain Ollie Mills. Mills gained valuable experience captaining the side last summer. He led from the front with the bat, scoring three centuries, two of which were in crunch BUCS games against Oxford and Cambridge MCCUs. He will be in charge again this summer, and will hopefully flourish.

Tom Coldman and Rob Craze are two talented spin bowling allrounders who showed their class with

high batting innings totals and wicket hauls all over the country. Jonathan Burden showed great potential in his Freshers’ year as an opening bowler, choking the life out of the opposition.

Ollie Mills has outlined the aims of continuing their success in the BUCS National indoor competition, and winning their league in the summer.

Tennis Tennis had a record number of members and achievements last year. Five of their seven BUCS teams got promoted, with the first teams making the top National Premier League. This league consists of the best six university tennis teams in the country. Top players in action last year included Jack Large, who made it into the quarterfinals of the Belgium Futures, and Summer Colling and Ashtey Pauls, who qualified for the BUCS Individuals National Tournament. Both the Men’s and Women’s Doubles pairs that were entered into the BUCS Individuals National Tournament made the quarterfinals.

This year, tennis will have an additional women’s team. They offer coaching opportunities at all levels at discounted student prices. The newly refurbished covered courts will provide additional high-quality hitting space, and last year’s successful tour over the Easter break will take place again.

RWC 2015: The ‘ones to watch’ SPORT

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39

With the World Cup under way, Oli Davis, Online Sport Editor, gives his definitive guide on the stand-out competitors from each nation

Pool A England Dan Cole. When England’s pack is getting goforward ball and providing momentum, the backs will score tries. In recent matches, England’s scrum has not looked the dominating force that it has been for many years. Should England progress far in this tournament, a strong scrum will be crucial to their success.

Wales Dan Biggar. With talisman Leigh Halfpenny on the sidelines due to injury, Wales have lost their metronomic kicker. Biggar is a capable kicker himself although Wales will have to hope that the Ospreys man can cope with the added pressure.

Australia Israel Folau. Australia’s backline is extremely dangerous and Folau is the centrepiece of it. The space Folau is afforded at full back allows the Rugby League convert to counter attack with power and pace. Expect Australia to look to him to provide the attacking impetus.

At 125 kg, it is a fearsome sight watching him maraud down the wing Fiji Nemani Nadolo. At 125 kg, it is a fearsome sight watching him maraud down the wing for the Flying Fijians. As seen in the opener, Fiji will use the giant as a crash ball option on first phase as well as creating opportunities for him to attack opposition wingers one-on-one.

Uruguay Felipe Berchesi.

The fly-half competed well against Wales, kicking well and often looking to counter attack from deep. Uruguay are certainly not expected to progress beyond the group stages but if they are to worry teams in the first half of matches, Berchesi’s kicking will be imperative.

>>The 1st XV Rugby team pose with Tonga after their training session on Wednesday.

Pool B South Africa Jean de Villiers.

South Africa were outplayed by an inspired Japanese side, and although no one could argue that they did not deserve it, I have no doubt that the Springboks will bounce back. Captain Jean de Villiers will be intrinsic to their recovery butneeds to quickly rediscover the form that made him a legend of the sport.

Samoa Tim Nanai-Williams. Cousin to Sonny Bill Williams, the fullback is an extremely exciting prospect in a Samoa side that is not afraid to run the ball. The dangerous backline that they have in place allows him to do so, and his try against the USA was extremely well finished. The Super Rugby star looked a menace all match.

Without doubt, Scotland’s most exciting backline player Scotland Stuart Hogg. Without doubt, Scotland’s most exciting backline player. Hogg possesses electric speed as well as a lethal eye for a counter attack. Over the past three Six Nations, Hogg has consistently terrorised opposition defences and is recognised as Scotland’s most potent try scorer. Having eased past Japan, the Scots will need Hogg at his scintillating best against South Africa.

Japan Michael Leitch. What performance will the Japanese produce next? A fantastic win and a bad defeat thus far, it is the workrate of captain Leitch that has stood out for the neutrals. Whilst the backline played with immense pace and precision, it was his workrate which kept countless South African attacks at bay.

USA Chris Wyles. The Saracens man is a vastly underrated player having scored an impressive number of tries in the Aviva Premiership over the past couple of seasons. His try in the opening round against Samoa highlights his work rate in attack and his eye for a finish.

Pool C New Zealand Kieran Read. Take your pick: Julian Savea is a man mountain on the wing, Dan Carter and Richie McCaw are icons of the sport, Aaron Smith is perhaps the most underrated player worldwide and Conrad Smith is a subtle genius. However, Read is often overlooked. Strong in the tackle, athletic and possessing an excellent offloading game, if the 2013 IRB player of the year is on form, the All Blacks may be impossible to stop.

Argentina Marcos Ayerza. The Leicester Tigers prop has had a magnificent few seasons and has established himself as one of the elite props in the game.

Argentina’s scrum has historically been its strength so expect Ayerza to lead from the front in that regard.

Tonga Sione Kalamanfoni. Opeti Fonua is the headline name from the Tongan team, having terrorised opposition defences in the Aviva Premiership from Number 8. However, Gloucester’s Kalamafnoni has been equally impressive recently. The flanker combines pace and power to good effect and can compete with the best in the world.

The Toulon number eight is one of the most intimidating players at his position

Cups and especially against New Zealand. Many will remember his heroics against the All Blacks in the Quarter Finals in 2007 and Final in 2011 as crucial evidence to the quality of the 33 year-old. As the captain and lynchpin of the French team, Dusautoir must recover his form of World Cups gone by.

Ireland Jonny Sexton. Ireland’s entire game plan centres around the Leinsterman. Whilst Ireland are fortunate that Sexton is arguably the best fly-half on the planet, his knack of picking up niggles and concussions must surely be a worry for Joe Schmidt’s side.

Georgia Mamuka Gorgodze. Nicknamed ‘Gorgodzilla’, the Toulon number eight is one of the most intimidating players at his position. The 31 year-old is extremely powerful and has been a regular for the Georgian national team since 2004. His impact in the opening game against Tonga was impressive.

Italy Tommaso Allan.

Whilst Sergio Parisse is undoubtedly the Italians’ talisman, Allan must finally provide the presence at fly-half that the Italians have been missing for far too long. Should Italy progress through this tough group, Allan will have to perform from the kicking tee.

Namibia Jacques Burger. Anyone who saw the Aviva Premiership Semi-Final between Saracens and Northampton last season will know how the Namibian flanker can completely change a game with his tackling. Whilst he alone may not be able to win a game for Namibia, the 31 year-old Saracens man is extremely impressive nonetheless.

Canada DTH van der Merwe. The Scarlets winger had a good opening game against the Irish, scoring a try. Whilst the scoreline was immensely in the Irish’s favour, the 29 year-old troubled the Irish defence on a number of occasions and looked a real threat.

Pool D France Thierry Dusautoir. The Toulouse flanker always seems to perform at World

Romania Mihai Macovei. Few will be expecting Romania to progress from the group stages so it will be upon the captain and flanker Macovei to lead from the front and prove that the Romanians can compete in the knockout stages.

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SPORT

NEWS 1-5

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-14 16-17 8-10

MUSIC 18-21

SCREEN 22-24

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32

GAMES 34-36

28 SEPTEMBER 2015 |

SPORT 38-40

EXEPOSÉ

SPORT AU Pres dominates Triathlon Exeposé Sport

SPORT EDITORS Rob Cross Emmott Leigh

sport@exepose.com

TRIATHLON

Rob Cross & Matt Hacke Sport Editor & Sports Team Jack Bristow Ollie Teenan Jamie Pocock

1st 25th 43rd

T

HREE Exeter triathletes journeyed to Dawlish for the fourth annual triathlon race. The victor was a dominant Jack Bristow, AU President and ex-Club Captain who put in a complete performance for his first Triathlon win.

Unlike other university sports, the Triathlon season runs throughout the long summer break, with events all over the country. Although the Dawlish meet on 20 September is an early race in the University calendar, it marked the culmination of a long and successful season for Exeter’s triathletes, and an opportunity for personal glory.

Bristow has already qualified for the 2016 European Championships in Lisbon

>>Jack Bristow en route to his maiden Triathlon victory. Photo: Artizan Events Photography

In this issue of Exeposé Sport...

An intro to top BUCS clubs Page 38

With the first BUCS race of the academic year a few months away, strong performances were vital before the club began work for the inter-University Duathlon (Run-Cycle-Run), which is taking place at Castle Combe on 22 November.

Fortunately, despite a curtailed sea swim due to mist, and a highly talented field, the three EUTriC athletes representing Exeter were emphatically successful. Jack Bristow, who most recently held Mens’ Captain in the Club, stormed into pole-position by the first Transition in the Standard Distance race and proceeded to hold first place throughout.

Bristow has already qualified for the 2016 European Championships in Lisbon, and this debut vic-

A beginner’s guide to the Rugby World Cup Pages 39-40

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tory at Dawlish capped off a great summer for him. Whilst his cycle was particularly strong, he was pleased with the strong level maintained throughout all aspects of the race.

Current Club Captain Ollie Teenan also enjoyed a strong race, finishing 25th overall, and posted an extremely eye-catching time of just over 40 minutes in the 10km run. Equally, Jamie Pocock, who competed in the Sprint Distance race, finished in 43rd place, with solid times across the board, especially on the swim.

Bristow was understandably delighted with the result: “Getting my first win means a lot . I had to pull out of a race two weeks earlier due to injury. I hope to win a lot more races in the future!”

It was an extremely encouraging day for EUTriC. Equipped with the tools for success, next year looks to be extremely promising and Bristow has certainly paved the way for future talent, setting a high bar in the process.

Fantasy Football

1. Falcaotside Chance hvbnvbn 2. He’s called Tbe Sig

Phil Smith Eliot Smith 3. Legs XI Dom Carberry 4. Jacks army Henry Omeara Max Stormer 5. Pardiola’s Boys 6. Wilson’s Warriors Nick Wilson 7. Schindler’s Assist Ashley Waters 8. Fritzl Palace Rob Cross 8. The Pardew Effect Isaac Hancock 10. WHO ATE ALL DEPAY Jim Atherton 11. Farcelona Toby Gladwin 12. Borrusia Teeth Fred Eastwell 13. Sheffield Thursday Oliver Davis 14. The PlonKerrs Emily Kerr

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299 286 281 273 270 242 237 235 235 233 216 190 188 141

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